


Sunflower House

by ramblesandshambles



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-25
Updated: 2016-01-27
Packaged: 2018-03-03 11:10:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 47
Words: 58,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2848745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ramblesandshambles/pseuds/ramblesandshambles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daryl works as the custodian at Sunflower House where the children with no chances left for being placed go. Carol is thrown in at the deep end to turn the place around. Both Merle and Daryl are oc this fic,<br/>I've have some others finishing up so time to start a new fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

'Who is she? She better be better than this guy?' Daryl Dixon looked on as the police loaded the guy who had been running the children's home he just been working in less than a week into a police car, followed by the cook and two other workers who had been working there.

Daryl knew something was off with the kids and off with the guy that made him and everyone else call him 'The Governor,' he gave him the creeps, he hadn't let them in the house for the interview was the first thing they knew something was wrong, not to mention he been skimming what money given to the group home for funding it was to line his own pockets been feeding the children badly and they were being neglected worse than they were in some of the homes they had been in. The police quickly got to the bottom of what was going on inside the home, the fact that Daryl and his brother had only been there a few day meant they were not being investigated also.

When Daryl first clapped eyes on the children for the first time today he called the home's authorities,then the police just in case nothing was being done. He been there less than four days his brother and him taking over from the two men who just up and left. It become apparent the place was run down and there was no money being used in the home, it smelt really bad inside the home. Daryl and Merle had scratched their heads, this was the 4th home they worked at and they were surprised how run down it was.

Something was off about the way a couple of little children had looked at them through the window this morning, they were jerked quickly from the window by a hand. They hadn't seen children playing outside in the 4 days they had been there, despite the fact they had fixed the falling down swings and tidied up the general outside play area. They knew there should be around 20 children here but they hadn't seen any which was odd and made the men go into the kitchens and into the home just to see what was happening inside the home.

Dirty smelly children, no food in the cupboards and a dirty house. It made him mad, he was qualified to run a home like this but never was given a chance because they saw who he used to be, that kid that was in the system. He was a qualified counselor also, he had gone to night school and had a number of qualifications under his belt. He move to this job because it was hopefully a step in the right direction to working directly with the kids instead of behind the scenes as he had for years, no longer volunteering at the community center to help kids after school with their homework.

Merle and Daryl looked around at the twelve kids there ranging from 13 to 4 years wondering what to do next. The new person had agreed to come today, Daryl and Merle were to work directly with the children until such time as more staff were found for the home.

Daryl scratched his head nodding when the official lady said she was leaving and would be back to check on things tomorrow. He looked around at the group of dirty kids with mattered hair wondering how long it had been since any of them took a bath and did they all have head lice? Daryl scratched his head thinking about it. Head lice spread like wild fire in group homes he hoped not, hair cuts all round and hair junk in all their heads tonight.

'What we going to do Merle?' Daryl asked him.

'Man, its got 4 washing machines, I guess we start washing shit and getting it dry,' Merle suggested.

One of the older boys approached them is a scared like manner hanging his head whispering in a voice they couldn't hear.

'What?' Merle asked.

'My little brother Bobby, messed himself this morning they wouldn't change him,' the boy whispered pointing to the smallest child in the home, he was one dirty kid with scraggly hair, Daryl was mad, the little guy was shaking and crying standing behind his brother.

'Come on then, what's your name?' Daryl asked.

'Toby,' 

'Come on Toby you help me sort your bother out, we will give him a bath or shower and clean him up, Merle you need to look in the first aid kit see if there is diaper rash cream or something cos that has to hurt,' Daryl said.

Merle nodded, he rounded everyone up inside, telling the older ones they were going to sort it out, there was a new person coming to help them but they all needed to help clean up. It seemed all the kids had been confined to one room, the whole house smelt like pee and poop, the little house Daryl and Merle were in out the back was better than this place.

Daryl was cringing he had a frightened child in the shower his older brother trying to help wash him down clean him up. He showered him washed his hair and face then put him in the bath to soak a little longer, mean while Merle brought in a little girl with brown hair and a dirty face, smelling like stale pee. Daryl indicated to Toby he should stay due to both Bobby and the little girl looked to him for guidance.

'What's your name?' Daryl asked, he was pulling off her clothes throwing them straight into the trash. A girl called herself Meg who about 12 come in with clothes for the two littlest members. Telling Daryl that the clothes were donated but they had never been allowed to wear them, they sold them on to make money. Daryl wasn't surprised hearing this at all thanking the girl asking her to help with Sophia. The bathroom was big, there seemed to be endless hot water, Toby told him it was gas. Daryl was pleased, he saw a set of twin's out there that also looked like they needed a good scrub.

'Sophia,' the little blue eyes looked up at him, her blue eyes seemed to trust him as he helped her into the shower handing her some soap and cloth to wash herself. Daryl nodded, gave her a little nod, he told the girl and Toby to stay with the two kids while he looked around a bit more. Merle was shoving sheets in the wash.

'Every fucken thing is pissed on, or needs washed twice,' He told Daryl.

'Is it worth it?' Daryl asked.

'Got nothing else, all the mattresses need to go, carpets need cleaned, its bad,' Merle told him. Merle had inlisted a couple of kids to gather stuff up in washing baskets so they could get loads of washing on.

There was some noise at the front door Daryl went to answer it to a women dressed to the nines with full make up and black dress, and stockings and high heels. She took off her sun glasses looking at Daryl who was still half soaked from bathing Bobby she looked him up and down. Daryl looked her up and down taking her in thinking they were fucked if this was who they had sent to deal with a messy dirty home with messy dirty wayward children, who were there because they had no chances left.

'Hi are you Daryl or Merle? I'm Carol,' come out the softest voice, She pushed her big sun glasses back off her face, Daryl's heart did a little lurch she was dressed to kill with makeup perfectly applied with a skilled hand. He was pretty sure she had on those fake eyelash things on, she held out her hand to shake his, he noted perfectly manicured finger nails on the softest hands he ever touched. He noticed his were still wet from the bathing he stammered an apology.

'I've got loads of stuff in my car if you can grab some of it for me it would be great,' she smiled at him, he nodded he would.

'Uh yeah, Daryl, come in, ' She stepped over the threshold with a overnight bag. Yes they were fucked she looked around at the kids and the house. He took in her dress and her heels and tried to stop himself from rolling his eyes at this women they had sent.

'Can you point me to my room?' She asked him.

He just nodded, he gave her directions and cursed the whole way to the car thinking they sent them someone dressed in the highest of fashions to deal with this crap, The women was wearing high heels, expensive ones. Daryl had had been with enough girls over the time  to be able to tell the difference between cheap and tacky and high class and sexy. She was looking pretty sexy, her eyes, by the time he got to her car he was thinking about her neck and eyes.

Get a grip, he told himself, you just went from mad to sexy neck you wanted to kiss. _He was fucked, even more so when Merle saw her_.

He grabbed some bags and noticed some food bags in the front seat and strung them over his fingers to get as much up to the house in one load, he sent the kids in the main room out to the car to get the rest, he dropped the food off in the big kitchen going down the hall to the room he sent her to knocked on the door with her bags.

He was shocked when she opened the door, her hair in a pony tail, track pants, sneakers and a tank top that showed off those shoulders, neck and eyes. She stood there looking at him pulling off fake eyelashes inviting him in with her stuff pointing to the one spot on the floor that was clear of mess, the mess had overflown into the adults rooms, he noted she had opened some windows in the short time he had been away, he stood watching as she wiped with makeup cleaner a perfectly made up face removing all traces of the women who had come to the door. She was smoking hot at the front door, now she was stunning in track pants makeup free rubbing on tinted moisturizer on her face.

'Hey thanks, sorry, I'm a bit abrupt and off today, please forgive me, I've just come from my friend's wedding, I was a bridesmaid, I don't normally go round in 5 inch heels,' she told him, he felt like a jack arse. 'I left after the service to get here, I drove 2 hours, I stopped to buy food, I though spaghetti, all kids like spaghetti right?' She flashed him a smile. 'What do you want me to do first?' she asked him. She looked at her nails, 'Shit, I can't get these off,' 

'I've ummm got some in the bath with the older one's watching, they all dirty, need cleaned, Merle's hanging out sheets and towels, one wee kid Bobby been sitting in his own shit all day,' Daryl glanced at her to see what she thought.

'I got 12 sets of brand new clothes, from the crisis center, diapers, underwear, cream's first aid kit,' She told him following him to the bathroom where two malnourished little children were sitting in a bubble bath.

'Shit, how longs this place been like this?' Carol whispered.

'Not too long thank god, 6 weeks this new guy been here, we started 4 days ago just seen the kids the first time today, we called the cops, and you know the rest.' Daryl waved at the little girl waving to him.

'Why am I here? I hear you guys are qualified like me,' Carol asked.

'Not right two guys with all these's kids, need a woman here,' Daryl stated, he grabbed a towel to get Bobby out of the bath, Carol put cream on him and they started the process of showering and bathing every younger child who needed support in that area. 'You get Sophia,'

Carol held the towel out to the little girls to dry and dress her, She quickly organised the other children to shower or help each other, looking at her watch. 'This isn't right, we shouldn't sleep here tonight,'

'Our place is clean, we get some stretchers, Merle's washing blankets and stuff, we turn up the heat it will be fine, just fine, like camping,' Daryl suggested.

'Ok, how many beds are there?'

'Two doubles, and there is a load of camp stretchers in the garage, we can make up cots,' Daryl told her, she nodded.

'Lets get them clean and fed, start a clean up, I've organised carpet guys to clean tomorrow while I was driving plus a couple of cleaners,' She looked at Daryl, 'Not my first rodeo, I've got people on speed dial,'

Daryl nodded, watched as she took the two youngest children with her to make dinner then Daryl organised everyone else to shower and helped Merle get the blankets washed. All the time thinking of the sexy bomb shell in the kitchen cooking pasta, she was around his age, 35ish. He wasn't going to sleep well knowing she was nearby tonight. He heard Merle entering the kitchen greeting Carol and then soft talking. Merle come back through to the laundry with a huge grin on his face looking at Daryl.

'Shut up,' was all he said.

'Not my type but she's def yours brother,' Merle whispered.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys I'm on holidays going to try see if I can update this tonight.

Merle dragged some camp stretchers out from the garage and went about setting them up in the little house out the back of the big house the children lived in. Daryl was half supervising the older childrens showers which included handing them towels, soap and a change of clothes. Then sending the clean ones towards Carol to 'help' with dinner. She had the two littlest on chairs helping stir what looked like a cake batter. Daryl come close all three turned to look at him with big blue eyes. All three looked frighten of him, Bobby, Sophia and Carol, they all physically relaxed when they saw it was him.

'You shouldn't creep around the house like that,' Carol told him quietly, 'Whistle or something, stomp your feet, your creeping about not that good for already scared children,' 

Daryl nodded he also noted that it just wasn't the kids he had scared, but also Carol had jumped out of her skin. She looked like she wanted to bolt when she saw him, he knew that look he used to have that look now he felt terrible he put that look on Carol's face, what made her so fearful?

'You ok in here? You looked like you all cleaned up a little,' he asked her.

'I'm trying,' Carol managed to stammer out, 'its a bomb sight,'

'K, the last two are waiting for showers, I'ma gona help Merle with the stretchers,' Daryl nodded and reached out to ruffle the little ones hair, Bobby gave him a little look and Sophia just looked at him with her blue eyes saying nothing.

'Its ok guy's Daryl's not going to growl or yell at you,' Carol said softly to them, Bobby reached out for Daryl to pick him up which he did. He touched his face then wanted down.  Daryl was surprised he even attempted to have physical contact with him due to the fact that Daryl helped clean him up this afternoon so maybe he trusted him a little to not do that might hurt him. He had seen a lot in the little boy that he seen before. Daryl let him down gently and quietly, and held his hands out to Sophia who reached out to him touching him, stalling when he went to pick her up so he didn't, just let her touch his arm then his face the way Bobby had done from the chair.

Carol watched noting he wasn't pressuring himself onto the little children letting them take the lead on how much or little they wanted to be near him or not. She glanced him up and down taking his whole body in, he didn't seem to have any problems with the kids not wanting much to do with him but at the same time wanting to have something to do with him. She liked him, he seemed like a good guy not like some of the pushy get into your space people who she had sometimes worked with.

'Sorry I scared everyone,' Daryl looked at Carol who looked away then glanced back nodding to him. He looked at her some more, 'Sorry I scared you, I'll try make more noise when I'm going around,'

'Its ok, its fine, dinner will be ready in about 20 minutes, cake in 1 hour,' Carol told him, 'then I'll help with the beds and what not,'

'Its fine, Merle will have them all set up,' Daryl told her, 'we just need to get some bedding dried,'

'Ok, maybe we can make tonight a movie night,' Carol suggested, Daryl nodded, they had some movies they carted around that were good for all age groups, the little two looked tired already wouldn't take much to get them to sleep. They stood there staring at each other as Merle come banging through the door into the kitchen.

'You two love birds finished staring at each other long enough to realize that the washing machine is beeping?' Merle commented walking past them towards the laundry was, one of the machines was spinning lop sided with a blanket in it.

'Merle,' Daryl warned following him to sort the washing out, Carol certainly was captivating, he could look into those eyes for a while. He chose to follow Merle instead.

Three hours later Merle was rocking Bobby by moving his body back and forward on his knee, he was half asleep, Carol was patting Sophia's back in one of the bedrooms to get her off to sleep and Daryl was watching a kids movie with everyone else for the hundredth time he had seen this one he could say it word perfect. Carol crept out of the room Sophia asleep and took over from Merle picking up the little boy who snuggled into her chest giving up and going to sleep quickly, the other kids dropped off one at a time till the only ones who were awake were Carol, Daryl and Merle.

'Do one of you guy's have a tee shirt I can sleep in? The only stuff I have is like really girly not really for this sort of setting,' Carol looked at them, Merle looked at Daryl he nodded getting up going to the bedroom to get her one, he held it out to her along with some pj pants.

'They might be big, you can roll them over,' Daryl whispered. Carol nodded, she took them into the bathroom to take a shower, the idea of her being naked in the shower was almost to much for Daryl, he moved to go outside for a smoke Merle followed him.

'So........................ ' Merle left it hanging out there, Daryl looked at him.

'So?' He answered.

'Soooooooooooooooooooo.................' Merle stated again.

'Shut the fuck up,' Daryl stated, letting go a swear word he kept for when dealing with his brother.

'I didn't say anything,' Merle stated.

They both looked as the door to outside opened and Carol stepped out wearing Daryl's pj's looked out into the dark seeing two glowing ends of smokes.

'You out here?'  She whispered.

'Yeah,' Merle told her.

'I'm going to bed, do you need me for anything?' Carol asked.

'I don't know, Daryl you need her for anything?' Merle asked him. Daryl kicked at Merle in the dark.

'Nah we good, we are going to bed shortly,' Daryl told her, she nodded. 

He knew he wasn't going to get much sleep knowing she was going to be sleeping a foot away in her own stretcher. Merle somehow managed to put them sleeping side by side on stretchers and giving himself the bedroom to himself. He knew what he was doing, putting them together like that. He stubbed his smoke out followed Merle inside and went to the lounge where 8 kids were sleeping on stretchers. 

At least everyone smelt clean, listening to the soft snores of the children he went in to check the little two and the two twins who were sharing the bed in that room. Bobby and Sophia looked sweet and innocent he wondered what their story was, he was going to look a their files tomorrow, he crept back into the lounge looking around again moving quietly past Carol climbing into his stretcher, half groaning to be lying down.

He rolled on his side to study her while she slept she opened her eyes looking at his eyes, 'I'm not asleep,'

'Hey,' Daryl didn't know what else to say he been looking at her and she was awake, 'You ok? Need anything?'

'Nah, a bubble bath, and wine, I left a hotel room for this great bed and breakfast,' Carol told him.

'Room service?' Daryl whispered, 'What would you order?'

'Wine, cheese cake, and eat it in the bath,' Carol whispered back.

'Nice, well welcome to club med,' Daryl whispered.

'Thank you, its not too bad, you and your brother seem nice,' Carol whispered.

'Its been tough day, with the kids, little Bobby and Sophia,' He whispered in the dark.

'They're cute,' Carol whispered.

They whispered in the dark for a long time until Carol yawned then she whispered 'Daryl,'

'Yeah,'

'We need to sleep,' Carol reached out her hand towards him, he reached out grabbing both hands on the side of her stretcher pulling her closer to him so it wasn't a big stretch for him to hold her hand. They were lying facing each other staring at each other in the dark hold hands, Carol yawned and shut her eyes, when she did Daryl shut his eyes too. That's how Merle found them holding hands when he woke up in the morning. He knew it, they liked each other. He pushed their cots away from each other before any of the kids woke up.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

Daryl watched Carol suck peanut butter off her fingers, she was eating toast, still in his PJ's flicking through some files with Sophia on her lap. Her knee was bouncing as she was reading and Sophia was picking at her own toast watching him watching Carol.

Her clothes were in the dryer, she was getting some clothes sent to her from her friends place where she had been staying, all her clothes were going out nice clothes not really scrubbing a house type of clothes.

Daryl was flicking through his own pile of files, with Bobby hanging over his shoulder. He knew the little boy was pretending to be asleep but he was sucking his thumb on one hand, his hot breath on his neck and his fingers lacing through his hair as he was self soothing on Daryl upset because his brother and the other kids had gone with Merle to the local park for a while so Daryl and Carol could do a few jobs uninterrupted by older kids.

Bobby and Toby's story was one that had been told before, both had been bounced around homes and foster homes before ending up here where they seemed by the files to put the kids that would be in the system until they hit 18. Daryl knew this story, it had been him with Merle until he turned 18 then taking Daryl and leaving the system only to go back to help others kids.

He shifted in his seat slightly, they had been talking in code a little so the little ones didn't understand, plus they couldn't read yet as they passed the files back and forwards. Daryl tried not to notice Carol wasn't wearing a bra, but his eyes drew to them without him thinking, he opened Sophia's file, hers read a little different from the other kids. She was surrendered at a safe zone.

She was taken to the hospital by her 17 year old mother and father, both street kids, who had been raising her on the streets and homeless shelters. According to the notes it had  been snowing and they decided they wanted to do what was right for their daughter, Sophia was around 18 months when they gave her up. It made him cringe to read it, they left her in the safe drop hatch newly instated in the hospital.

Leaving a note with her information, what she liked and didn't like, her birth date, her name, their ages but they couldn't look out for her anymore it was two cold and not safe. They included a photo of them with her taken in a photo booth for her to have. She was still breast fed, that in itself had caused problems in the first home when Sophia had cried for milk and it was given in a bottle. He found it hard to swallow when he read down her notes more noting that the teens had been found two days later huddled together dead in the snow having died from the snow and the cold.

Daryl coughed to clear the lump in his throat, he would have thought by now he shouldn't let some of theses stories affect him, but thinking about two cold teenagers shoving their baby in a hatch to give her life then they left her to live and they died freezing in the cold made his heart ache, he had to get out of the kitchen before the tears threatening to fill his eyes tumbled out down his face. He flicked the file shut and pinched between his eyes at the bridge of his nose closing his eyes thinking about anything but the little girl sitting across from him eating peanut butter out of the jar with a spoon.

He turned the photo upside down so he didn't have to see their faces, he knew those kids, he tried to get them to come to a teen shelter when he been working on the streets helping kids. He managed to get them into one together for about 6 months until they ran with their 1 year old to the streets again, he didn't know what happened. He knew they had been talked to about giving their baby up, Merle and Daryl found them again managing to talk them into getting into the van with Sophia when it was raining one night to get them off the streets. 

Merle had told them about safe places they could leave Sophia. Which hospital's, police stations and churches had safe hatches for children.  He knew they would run again, they were working to get them housing or a permanent home for them all but they ran thinking the state was going to take Sophia.  All they had to do was stay in school, Merle and Daryl could barely get them to go to school. When the state threatened to take her they ran in the night with Sophia and a bag of baby gear. Looking at the dates they must have lasted two weeks on the streets with Sophia until putting her in the hatch.

Knowing their life ended the way it did was devastating for Daryl even though it happened over 3 1/2 years ago it punched him like it was today. He turned the picture over looking at it again, looking up at Carol who was looking at him wondering if he was ok.

'Just knew them,' He said in a croaky voice. He turned the file over to her, 'I've gotta get out of here, take Bobby for a minute,'

Carol moved Sophia and her jar to the seat beside her taking Bobby, looking at Daryl who was trying to hold his shit together left via the kitchen door going down the steps sitting on the bottom one. He sat there for a long time. Finally coming to the conclusion there was nothing else they could have done, at least they gave them the information to give Sophia a future. 

Sophia was here because she screamed in every foster home they put her in. It was funny, Daryl hadn't seen her scream at all in the past 24 hours. She looked pretty happy with a spoon and jar of peanut butter. Daryl stood up looking around the yard, they had so much work to do before they could move back into the house it looked like they would be camping again tonight, the carpet guys were coming soon, they would clean the mattress too he hoped or they would have to dig deep into funding to get new beds.

The kitchen door peeked open, Carol looked out, 'My clothes are dry, can I take a shower while you watch the two little ones?' 

'Yeah,' Daryl come back to the steps.

'You ok?'

'Yeah, just its hard, you read her file?' he asked her. She nodded.

'Were the one of yours?' she asked.

'Yeah they were in a shelter we were trying to get them housing they took off with her,' Daryl looked into the kitchen the spoons were gone and Bobby and Sophia were eating with their hands, 'She seems happy, we can't go back,'

'No, we can only do what we can,' Carol told him, 'Now you watch them so I don't have to greet more people in your PJ's.'

'They look ok on you, you can keep them,' Daryl told her. 

'I might have too, I need to go get some clothes, ok, be back soon,' Carol waved at the kids to say she was going now, they knew she was going to shower she had told them already.

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

The professional cleaners come in, the carpet cleaning guy was cleaning the carpets and the beds, it was going to take them all day, Carol come out dressed in a tank top and jeans declaring they needed to go shopping for food and some clothes for her. He nodded agreeing trying not to stare at her in her jeans and tight fitting top, at least she was wearing a bra. Although he could see the lace trim of it and he wondered what the rest looked like.

He put car seats into his truck text Merle to say they would bring lunch to the park, home was a no go zone at the moment. She thought they could grab plastic plates and cups at the shops. She grabbed a sipper cup for Bobby who was quite regressed in his eating and drinking habits from what they had seen at dinner and breakfast, only eating for his brother, who spoon fed him.

He wasn't toilet trained they had him in a pull up and they would have to work with him as he become more confident he should get there. Toby had been trying to keep him clean hiding it from the staff, washing him and his clothes even though he had told them he hadn't been trained yet. No one bothered to help the little boy even encourage him to try the toilet. Daryl managed to get him to go into the bathroom to watch his brother pee in the toilet this morning so he could get some idea of what to do. He seemed terrified of the toilet.

He had a sipper cup still Toby had kept hidden for the time they had been there to give him water from the bathroom taps so the man running the place didn't take it. He handed it over to Daryl last night when he promised he wouldn't take it from Bobby, in fact they would buy him another one if he need it. Toby gave it up from his book bag.

Daryl packed a diaper bag, and a change of clothes for the little boy, encouraging him to let him know if he peed or would like to try to pee. They were going to try stickers and rewards for trying. Or even just cuddles, he seemed to be happy hanging over Daryl, Merle's or Carol's shoulders more than walking around. He seemed affection starved as did Sophia.

They shopped for clothes for Carol to begin with, Sophia's eyes were like Magpies going for glitter anything, pointing at things. Daryl wondered if the kids ever had been into a shop before. Bobby clutched Daryl's hand tight then tried to walk in front of him walking backwards so he could carry him. In the end Daryl had both Sophia and Bobby clambering for his arms looking around with wide eyes. He had to go get a two seated trolley and fit them in there. He was strong but not strong enough to hold them both for the amount of time it would take Carol to buy some clothes.

'You be alright, I'll take them to the toy isle?' Daryl asked Carol, she nodded ducking into the change room his eyes went over some of the stuff she was going to try on, flicking over some bra and panties sets she had hanging from her fingers, his face blushed when she caught him looking at them. He'd be lying if he wasn't imagining her wearing them not that he even knew what her's looked like. 

'I don't have much stuff, I'm going to be here a while,' She whispered trying to hide the bra's behind her back, but knowing he was looking at them. All it did was make his eye's train to her backside instead of her eyes, he tracked his eyes back up her to meet hers, he felt like the biggest creep in the world when he realized what he was doing.

'You got enough money and stuff?' he asked.

'Are you offering to buy my underwear?' She teased, he just stood there and nodded. She laughed. 'I've got some money, I'll let you know if I go over my budget,'

The toy isle was an interesting experience for Bobby and Sophia. They looked with wide eyes at the rows and rows of toys. He wandered for ten minutes, throwing something in for each kid in the home, he knew there were no toys there, he found some wooden blocks, pen's and pencils, colour books,  lego, puzzles, toy cars and a few baby dolls, he looked at the dolls, they were boy and girl dolls, about the size of real new born babies. Little wrinkles and all Bobby held his hand out for a baby, Daryl handed him one, and one to Sophia.

'You wana take the babies home?' He asked them, Bobby was looking at it, putting it over his shoulder patting its back like Daryl, Merle and Carol had done to him over the past 24 hours, and put his thumb in his mouth, Sophia cuddled hers like her prize and nodded. Daryl knew he was not going to be able to prize the babies out of their arms for anything, Bobby was humming even. Sophia had a look in her eye that it was almost like Christmas morning if she knew what Christmas morning was.

'Do we need to find some clothes for theses naked babies?' both kids nodded holding their babies, he looked around finding the clothes holding up some options and they nodded to every option he showed them. He threw them in the trolley, there was no money in the home at the moment he knew this was going to come out of his and Merle's pocket, they could afford it. They lived free for years now, both had healthy bank balances. He could put food on the account but the toys he was going to pay for.

They wandered around the store going back to check on Carol who was hanging around waiting for him with some clothes and female personal stuff waiting for him to come back. She looked in the trolley at the toys then at him. She knew they had no budget. She looked worried looking at him with big blue eyes, she saw Bobby and Sophia clutching their babies and she hoped Daryl had money because they were not going to be letting them go for any love or money. 

'I know, its fine,' Was all he said.

They went through the check out, the only problem being when Carol's card declined and come up as a stolen card, she looked like she wanted to cry as the shop assistant cut her card. She stood there with her mouth open and looked at Daryl trying to speak, he just grabbed a handful of her bra's and underwear, he grabbed at a box of tampons he turned them over in his hands looking them over before putting them with the order, he glanced at her.

'Is that enough, its a pretty small box,' he said quietly to her, 'Is that enough?'

'I'll make do,' she whispered clearly embarrassed.

'Go get more of that stuff, anything else like that, I know that's not enough,' he said quietly, she looked at him, the clerk looked at him, 'Go quick,' She stared at him going off the the female hygiene isle grabbing another box and some liners. He put her on the spot she was going to put him on the spot and grabbed a 12 pack of condoms to go with her order for her pleasure to embarrass him at the check out.

 Lip gloss, the pants and tee shirts putting them through with the toy's he was buying. He ignored the shop keepers expression, and put it through, his expression unchanged the whole time. His expression changed when she come back and put another box of tampons, panty liners and a box of condoms on the check out. He pushed the kids through ahead of the order in the trolley. His face changed expression when he saw the condoms rolling past him and he coughed a little.

Bobby cried when they scanned his baby, Sophia held her breath when they took hers to scan, Daryl handed the babies back to the kids, paid for Carol's stuff and the toys. He pushed the trolley and the stuff out to the car park. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure she was coming. He loaded the toy's and her stuff into the back of his truck.

'I'll pay you back I swear,' Carol tried to apoligise to him. 'It's just that.......'

'Its fine, you don't need to tell me if you don't want to,' He told her, she looked at him following his led they put a kid and their baby on their hip going to the supermarket on the other side of the carpark moving them into a new trolley that was for the supermarket.

'Daryl, you need to know,' Carol started, she put her hand on his arm, he moved so they were not in the middle of the car park where the cars drove through, 'I've got a stalker, he does this, he's done this twice when I've shifted jobs, somehow I don't know but he cancels my cards or reports them stolen somehow then I have to get new one's and give a new address and he's a computer wizz he just knows where I am,'

'What?' Daryl glanced around the car park expecting someone to be watching. His eyes tracked every person he could see to see if anyone looked overly interested in them.

'I have a restraining order, but it won't work, he'll find me I'll have to leave, he knows I'll have to go to the bank or something he will use that to find me,' Carol told him. He nodded. 'I've had to leave two jobs because he's shows up. He won't stop,'

'So he cancels your cards, you get new ones he finds you again?'

'Yes, he knows I'm in a new job, he has too, he won't know where but he will find out because he's cut off my money supply,' She told him.

'Let me think ok, lets go get some food, and let me talk to Merle,' Daryl took her hand bringing her with him into the store. 

Daryl was quiet the whole way around the store, they were just picking up enough food for lunch for everyone at the park and dinner, breakfast the next day. He piled in long life milk, she looked at him. He seemed to know what to get, she was still in some sort of shock, he kept a grip of her hand the whole way round. Pushing the trolley with one hand. He put in bags of apples, bread, butter, spreads, chips, popcorn. 

He stopped in the baby isle picking up pull ups for Bobby, a new sipper cup,  he showed Bobby some toddler sized knives and forks asking if he liked to try them, Sophia wanted some too, he got them. Carol watched him with the kids, finally moving through to the check out putting the food through in the order, then on a separate bill put through some smokes, pain meds and chocolate. She watched, he indicated for her to get some, she quickly grabbed her favourite putting it up, he reached past her grabbing some more of that type, paid and they left.

They piled it up into the back of the truck, buckle Sophia and Bobby into their seats driving off to the park, Carol glanced at Daryl who was looking ahead driving, she could see he was checking the mirrors a lot.

'Thanks Daryl for the ummmm chocolate,' She said.

'I know chick's like that when they have, you know,' he glanced at her, she remembered he had the box of tampons in his hands at the check out. 

'How do you know so much about tampons and periods?' She looked at him.

'Been working in homes for 10 years Carol, half the teen's in them are females,  this isn't my first tampon run,' He answered, 'The condoms?' He glanced at the two in the back seat who were busy with their babies.

'I like to make balloon animals,' she told him with a little grin and turned to look out the window so he didn't see her smile.

'Hmmmm you let me know if you need a hand with those then,' He said quietly.

'Oh I will, but, I can only make them on my days and nights off,' she looked at him, he just nodded.

'Ok, its a date then,' he pulled up to the park getting out before she could respond, Merle come across, the kids were running to the truck. They unloaded the food for lunch. The kids were beyond excited about the idea of a picnic, Bobby, run to Toby with his baby to show him. Toby cuddled his brother admiring the doll looking at Daryl and Carol trying to work out if they were as good as they seemed. Daryl held up the new sipper cup and knives and fork sets. Toby looked and nodded. Carol watched the scilent exchange between Daryl and Toby. She also saw him take Merle off to the side to talk, Merle shaking his head and pulling out his phone Merle come across asking Carol for a few details he needed, he wandered off to make a few calls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJUmYkxV0GM&list=RDpJUmYkxV0GM&index=1
> 
> the song I'm talking about

'While you were gone, the new person rung my phone, she's coming to the park, so now we can be in teams of two,' Merle stated. 'Get the place cleaned up more,'

'Andrea?' Carol asked him, she looked up from passing out fruit to the children. She had handed wet wipes around the kids to clean their hands. Bobby wasn't letting go of his baby, Sophia let Carol put hers on the blanket beside her to have a sleep.

Bobby was curled up on Daryl eating a apple with the baby. Daryl wasn't eating because he couldn't balance Bobby and himself. Finally he managed to move so Bobby was leaning on him more than sitting on him. He accepted a sandwich and a drink. He watched Merle sorting out the food with Carol. The kids were play dirty they all looked a bit sun kissed. They would head back to the house after eating. 

He was thinking everyone could chill out watch a movie for a bit while they started dinner prep, then hopefully with the new women, two could stay with the kids and two could clean up some more. The line was full of washing.

He fed Bobby bits of sandwich which he ate like a bird holding his mouth open for Daryl to put it in drinking on his cup watching everyone around him.

'I got a.... a.... a... a... I got a baby,' he told everyone, holding it up, Daryl was pleased all the kids admired his baby doll. 'Its..........its...........got a ............. its.. a boy........... baby.' he told them all pointing to its boy bits, they hadn't dressed the babies yet. Everyone looked Sophia held hers up showing her baby.

The kids watched the grown ups waiting for a catch, so far they seemed fine, likable in fact. The youngest two of the group seemed to be attaching themselves to them quickly but now they were not sure what was going on. 

Merle and Daryl were watching them have a little group meeting after lunch with all the little kids gathered around Toby and Meg looking for guidance. He could see they were trying to figure out if they were nice or not. Daryl remember looking to Merle as a little kid for which adult to trust. Bobby and Sophia had enough of talking and both with their babies looked towards the swings, before he could move he saw Carol calling them to come swing, they ran to her.

He looked around the park to see what other people were doing he knew they were going to have to sort school out for them this week, most were not enrolled anywhere and were failing their grades. They needed to turn it around. He noticed Merle watching a blonde approach Carol and hug her. He put two and two together realizing it was the new member of their team.

She was talking to Bobby and Sophia admiring their babies. He couldn't hear what she was saying but it was what the little ones wanted to hear.

'Your type Merle, try not to fuck the co workers,' Daryl teased his brother.

'You can fucken talk, you got a hard on for Carol,' Merle looked around making sure he wasn't being over heard by anyone.

'Come on we go greet and meet,' Daryl suggested, Merle didn't need any convincing. The kids all ran to say hi.

Carol introduced Andrea to the brothers explaining the situation at the home and camping. Andrea laughed started pulling her hair into a ponytail, she pulled a frizz-bee out of her hand bag and suggested a game with the kids and Merle. Daryl by this stage had a tired Bobby on his hip along with his baby and couldn't run if he wanted too.

**********************************************************************************************

It come clear to Daryl and Merle, Carol and Andrea knew each other really well giggling most of the time looking at each other. It become contagious, the kids were all giggling, and somehow there had been dancing after dinner from a speaker and Andrea's Ipod.

Carol was dancing holding onto hands of the two twins with Sophia jumping in the middle to 'Bens Brother - Stuttering (Kiss Me Again), word perfect, in fact she knew most of the words to the songs in Andrea ipod, almost like she put them there herself. Andrea and Carol had the same moves vibrating their bodies to when they sung stuttering........ putting her hands up in the air shaking her hips. He could see the band of skin between her jean's and tank top.

They knew each other not only as work colleagues they were almost like sisters giggling at the same thing, similar gestures and the giggling, the giggling was warming his heart. 

Merle was watching with Bobby on his knee moving back and forward, his baby hadn't left his hands all day. Andrea pulled Daryl up to dance too, she still had on her rubber gloves, they had originally put music on to listen to while doing the dishes, it slowly snowballed to dancing and singing with the kids. 'Kiss me againnnnnnnnnn' he was dancing, well swaying looking, Sophia wanted up, he had her on his hip trying to dance to keep up with the ten kids and two women bouncing around the kitchen cleaning up.

He was having fun. The kids were having fun, they all would have to go to the small house for the next two nights, the mattress were not too bad but were still damp. After dinner they were going to start the bath mission, get them all through, all filthy from playing outside most of the day. Digging the garden with Merle. Bobby was the worst. Sophia had streaks of dirt on her face.

'Bath time princess,' he told her as the song ended.

'Awww,' Sophia looked at him rubbing his face, 'One more?' he couldn't believe the change in her in one day.

'Nah after you bathed,' he told her putting her and her baby down. 'No babies in the bath though.'

For the next hour, they had the ones who needed to be highly supervised through the bath, Carol and Andrea giggled and danced their way through it. Merle just shook his head and went for a smoke. They split into two teams Merle and Andrea in the small house settling the 4 youngest into bed. The older ones were going to watch another movie. Then everyone would sleep and he could hold Carol's hand again he thought.

Then he worried that Carol would put Andrea by him. Merle somehow managed to talk her into taking his bed and he was on a stretcher on the floor. Daryl felt relieved he could spend more time with her.

'She your sister?' Daryl asked Carol as they locked up the main house going to the small one following Meg and Toby across the lawn.

'hmmmmm kinda, we were brought up in a place like this, she's all I have, we got into helping, the next state over, with the stalking and stuff we shifted and this come up with two jobs, I was close so I drove she brought our gear.' Carol told him. She stopped looking at him.

'Is Merle really your brother?' Carol asked him.

'By blood, we were brought up in homes,' he admitted, he dug in his pocket and lit a smoke, 'was told we be nobodies, I'm not nobody,'

'No, your not,'

'The kids, I mean we wana help,' he admitted.

'Yeah,' Carol looked at him, he was looking at her, 'Soooooo what is this?' she gestured between them.

'Dunno, I like you,' He stubbed his smoke out, 'I wana find out how you make balloon animals,' he winked at her.

'So your after sex?'

'Its not like that, you know it,' he looked at her, he moved in bending his head like he was going to kiss her, 'Can I?' 

She nodded, her arms went up and her lips met his, it was short lived just as she was feeling her way to meet his tongue, someone called their names in the dark. Merle. They headed into camp city slightly red and hustled to the couch sitting by each other to watch another kid movie. Daryl pulled his jacket off the back of the couch putting it over his lap pulling her hand under it so they could hold hand without 8 kids asking why they were holding hands. 

 

 

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sorry guys my brain was caught up with another fic, this one needs more thought and brain mapping, will be longer between chapters sometimes.

Finally everyone was sleeping, Andrea was in the shower and Carol was in the bathroom talking to her while she showered. Carol had just had hers while Andrea had sat on the side of the bath waiting for her to finish, talking together in hushed tones. Both Daryl and Merle had watched as the two women headed into the bathroom together. They were not surprised they were doing that, Merle knew girls went to the bathroom together, but being in the bathroom to go to the toilet, but showering or being together while one showered was new.

Merle had asked if it was open invitation or not. Both women shook their heads, Carol took Daryl's pj's with her even though she had her own clothes with her now thanks to Andrea. She wanted to keep wearing them.

Merle had his ear up to the door listening to them talk, Daryl gave him a look and went outside to smoke. Everyone was asleep and the movie hadn't even finished yet. They left it running so it drowned out their whispers of the adults, they all been sitting out on the porch whispering about what they needed to get done by tomorrow. Carol was going to enrol those into school who needed to be in school and Merle and Daryl were going to sort the bedrooms, Andrea was going to do the office work and they all were going to watch the kids or get them to help. Then Carol and Andrea headed to the bathroom.

 'So who's are those?' Andrea indicated to the pj's she was wearing.

Carol just looked at her like she didn't know what she was talking about.

'The younger one I bet,' Andrea started pulling on P.J's modest ones she wore while she was working.

'They could be, did you give notice on the rooms?' Carol asked, they had been sharing a couple of rooms in a boarding house, those were easiest to get into and out of between jobs, you were not leaving anyone in the lurch when you moved jobs.

'Yeah, everything is in my car which you can help me unpack tomorrow.' Andrea told her, 'He came by you know,'

'I have no doubt he did, got my cards cancelled too,' Carol dropped her voice down to barely able to hear, 'Daryl had to buy my tampons,'

Andrea looked at her, and mouthed 'Tampons, how the hell?'

'Because he cancelled my cards.' 

'Carol this is getting scary, are you sure you only ate chinese with this guy,' Andrea asked so many times she couldn't understand why he was stalking her still.

'Yes, Ed just won't take no, hopefully we are far enough away,'

'Have you told them? Andrea shoved her feet into slippers.

'Yes, today, they thinking of a plan or something, they know people,' Carol whispered.

'Yeah, they look like they know people, so you and Daryl are a thing?' She asked Carol/

Carol rubbed moisteriser on her face, she was thinking about the kiss she shared with Daryl wondering how to get him alone away from here without anyone else around. 'Sooooooooooo you got my book?' 

'Yeah its on the passenger seat, don't make me go get it,' Andrea looked at her, 'Oh I get it, your going to make Daryl walk you to the garage in the dark to get your book,'

'No, I'm going to get it alone and if he wants to come with, because its dark and anything might happen, I'll let him,' Carol told her.

'You are not fooling anyone, you know that, you can't fool me I know when you have the hots for someone and you have the hots for Mr Dixon,' Andrea told her.

'Hmmmmmmm and you not been watching the other all day,'

'At least I will admit it if I find a guy attractive, Merle Dixon is an extremely sexy man,' Andrea told her, they both giggled.

Merle raced across the lounge and out to the porch to sit with Daryl with a smug shit eating grin on his face. 

'What,?' Daryl asked.

'Yours going to try trick you into going to the garage on a pretense of getting a book, and I Daryl am an extremely sexy man,' Merle whistled looking around as the women come out. It was dark now, nice and cool sitting in the dark on the porch.

'No good ever comes to anyone who listen's at doors Merle,' Daryl warned him.

'Yes good does, I didn't know I was a extremely sexy man, before I just thought I was a sexy one ....... see,' Merle gave him a wink.

'They're coming so behave, we don't want no shit to go down on this job, we wana keep it,' Daryl warned him. 'We can run it on twelve with just the 4 of us, any more it gets complicated.'

The women come out looking at them, they were all quiet, they knew they had been the topic of conversation.

'Come on, lets go for a wee walk,' Daryl stood up held his hand out, he wasn't going to play silly games hiding this from his brother, everyone knew they liked each other, as long as when they were on the clock with the kids they were good it was fine. Daryl just signed them off the clock and Merle and Andrea were working. 'Don't follow us,' he warned Merle, 'Your working,'

'Come on, we will walk the section checking for ,............... ummmmm stuff,' Daryl looked at her,

'Be sure to check behind her ears,' Merle laughed watching them go down the deck.

'Why are you being so mean?' Andrea asked him.

'I'm not mean sugar, I could show you just how sweet I am,' Merle gave her a wink.

'Yeah, sounds............................ fantastic,'  Andrea sighed. 'All mouth no game,'

'I'm working sugar, lets say you and I get a night off on the same night, Merle here will take you out for dinner,'

'Hmmmm lucky me, beer and hotdogs right? Andrea stood up stretching moving to go inside to go to bed.

'Only if your a good girl,' Merle laughed following her into the house where they crept around 12 sleeping kids. Daryl and Carol sneaked in half an hour later creeping to the toilet an their stretchers, whispering in the dark.

 

 

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

Carol was about to pull her hair out, she just got pulled into the biggest lie ever in her life and she was playing along with it. They finally had everyone in the house, it was clean, tidy and happy. Sophia and Bobby were giggling, Bobby was growing in confidence. All the children were thriving. Then one of  official's people who over saw many of the homes in the State floored them.

Catching Daryl and Carol at home with Bobby and sophia playing educational games in the kitchen, catching them off guard bringing them news that could turn the children's lives on the end. Defiantly for Bobby and Toby, Bobby who just used the toilet to pee in this morning who received a huge cheer from everyone. 

Every home had to be run by a married couple, they had an older couple in mind but they didn't do children under 7 years, Bobby and Sophia would be leaving this home. Then either Merle and Daryl had to go or Carol and Andrea had to go, to make way for the married couple they would employ to run the home. It was likely they would move Bobby into a more specialized home to deal with his quirks separating him from his brother was going to happen, and Sophia would be moved to a different home due to records showing she would be hard for new people to manage with new people coming in, the new couple didn't want to deal with any upcoming issues with the little girl.

Carol looked at Daryl in horror. Then they looked at Sophia and Bobby who were heavily involved with their game

'Ummm could we be the married couple? Carol and I, I mean we were going to get married soon, we could just bring it forward, right babe?' Daryl look at Carol nodding, which made Carol nod along with him.

'You and Carol are engaged?' She asked them.

'Yes, we been together for ages, and we are getting married. Can we be the married couple running this home?' Daryl asked again, 'We want them all, they can stay here,'

'Well the new couple were due to come Monday, I can stall the paper work, till Friday, if you show me your paperwork by then,' She told them, Daryl moved closer to Carol putting his hand on her shoulder.

'We can get it by then, can't we? You don't mind do you, you didn't have your heart set on a huge wedding anyway,' Daryl said.

'As long as I'm with you, I don't care,' Carol lied, he leaned in grabbing her hand bringing it to his lips, kissing it. He was lying through his teeth telling the women that they had been together for months, almost love at first sight.  

The women asked them loads of questions almost giving them a mini interview, Carol was surprised how much information she could answer about Daryl thanks to their late night chats side by side on the camp stretchers. She even knew his birth date, favourite colour and his favourite food to eat. Daryl told some cute stories she had told her then told her what brand of tampons' she used. Carol was embarrassed. The women just nodded listening to them prattle on about each other.

'Do you have a ring Carol? Your not wearing one,' she asked Carol, Daryl gave her hand a squeeze.

'Yes I just took it off because we were doing so much cleaning,' Carol lied. 'I didn't want to lose it or anything,' 

'What about you Daryl are you going to wear a wedding band?' the women asked him.

'Of course I want everyone to know I'm married to Carol,' Daryl told her, they looked up as Merle and Andrea walked in from dropping the kids off to school.

Merle looked at them and the women with her folders, took note of his brothers hands on Carol in front of someone and knew something was up. He wasn't one for putting on a display, more subtle and understated. Both Andrea and Merle just went with it.

'Your brother has agreed to move the wedding forward to this week,' She told Merle and Andrea, Merle nodded, Andrea smiled not know what was going on but at the same time not going to out them on anything that had been said.

'Awesome been telling them to move it forward,' Merle clapped his hands together, Sophia and Bobby looked at him and clapped their hands, Andrea copied them too. 'This week you say, you better get that cake made Andrea,'

'Fruit cake, all sorted, just need to bake it,' Andrea said.

'Come on Soph, Bobby I need some help outside,' Merle's idea was to get out of there and away so he didn't muck up any of those lie Carol and Daryl were spinning, they would find out later what they needed to do. 'Come help?' he asked Andrea, she nodded moving fast away from the kitchen.

They finished up with completing their lies by agreeing to stop by with paper work that she left behind for them to fill out so they could officially apply to be the married couple for the home, they walked out holding hands waving goodbye to the lady.

'Oh and your bank account, the pay goes in as a couple, not individual, make sure you have that fixed by Friday,' She waved them goodbye as she climbed into her car driving off, Daryl could see she was watching them in the side mirrors, Carol glanced up at him, he bent giving her a kiss on the mouth turning them around moving back to the house.

Daryl put his arm around her shoulder walking slowly back to the house.

'Don't pull away she will be watching,' Daryl told her quietly, then he had to let go when Bobby come running at his legs plowing into him, he picked up up and walked into the house with Carol.

'What are we going to do?' she whispered to him when he put Bobby down to go find Sophia to play with.

'We get married,' Daryl was serious. 'They're going to take Sophia and Bobby away, and Merle and me would have to find new jobs,'

'We really going to do this, like seriously,' Carol whispered.

'I just told a official of the state we are, we need to go buy rings, and figure out when to get married,' Daryl suggested. 'Guess this sorts out your banking problem too,'

'Daryl, we are going to have to share a room what if they check or ask the kids where you sleep,' Carol whispered.

'Lucky me,' Daryl called through the house for Merle both he and Andrea come looking for them with big questions, 'You never guess what,' Daryl started to tell them what was happening.

 

 

 

'

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm also putting some of the stories on ff.net because of requests. I will try update there at the same time as here. Its taking time to load stories there slowly not to over load with huge amounts of chapters at a time. This will be my primary posting place here first then there.
> 
> https://www.fanfiction.net/~ramblesandshambles9

'Married? Like really married?' Merle followed Daryl out to the little house out the back, he needed to take a shower and get ready to go into town with Carol to sort things out to see if they could get married by Friday.

'Married, I don't know Merle, they were going to take Bobby and Sophia, we would have had to go, and its Soph Merle,' Daryl started stripping, 'and Bobby, little Bobby they were going to move him to a high needs place, you know what that mean's, stick him somewhere and forget him,'

Daryl stepped into the shower, washing himself down quickly.  Leaning in to wash his hair, he opened his mouth to save the kids now he had to put his money where his mouth was and hopefully keep Carol coming along with him. He moved to his bedroom turning his back on his brother while he dried himself, pulling on underwear and some jean's he looked around for a clean shirt, he found on giving it a sniff it was clean, sprayed himself. 

He sat on the side of his bed putting on his shoes, he knew he was moving around fast. He looked in his wallet to see if he had money, he would have to stop at a machine, he knew Carol had nothing, he looked in the drawer pulling out his passport shoving it in his back pocket and went to walk out the door.

'Did you even ask Carol? or just assume she's going to marry your crazy arse?' Merle asked him, he followed him down the steps over to the main house to go get Carol, he knew that he was going to have to hang with the kids and Carol then go get the rest from school if the were not back by then. 

'Not really, she didn't say no,' Daryl commented as he walked up the steps into the kitchen.

'Did you give her a chance?' Merle put his hand on his shoulder, stopping Daryl.

'She does, she will, I know she does,' Daryl shrugged off his brother looking around for Carol, she was in the family room cuddling Bobby who was upset saying 'No, no no,'

'Nooo, not............ not............... uh uh uh,' Bobby told her, 'No, no ,' 

Daryl stood watching, she mouthed that he didn't want them to go out without him.

'We will come back, you stay with Merle and Andrea,' Daryl told him, 'We have to do something,' 

'No, me not go other house,' Bobby found his words, Sophia was watching half hiding behind the couch, watching them. It was clear pretty quickly they had heard the lady talking. Even though they appeared to be deeply involved in their game.

'Daryl and I are going to fix it, make it so no one has to leave, but we gotta go to town to see someone, sort out some things,' Carol kissed his head, Daryl come in close to rub his back, 'We gotta go Bobby, fix it, but we gotta go today, go to Merle, we have to go,' she put him down and held her arms out to Sophia, she didn't come but started screaming instead when Carol went near her.

'Sophia, we going to fix it, Daryl and me, your not going anywhere,' she looked across the room at Andrea who come into see what the noise was about Merle had Bobby who was starting to wind up so he moved to go outside with the little boy, so he didn't ping off Sophia's screams. Sophia put her hands over her eyes and screamed. 

'Sophia, Carol and I we gotta go, we will bring you back something, you want ice blocks? What if we bring back ice blocks?' Daryl clutched at straws scratching his head, Sophia eventually moved closer to him, crawling along the ground, he held his hands out and she eventually uncovered her eyes, he stood up holding her tight, 'We gona fix it so you and Bobby stay,'

'But we have to go, ok, stay with Andrea and be kind to Bobby, ok,' Carol rubbed her head, Daryl passed her off to Andrea,

'You got id?' he asked Carol, she nodded. Following him out to his truck. The little two today broke her heart she had to do it, she liked Daryl, his kisses left her weak at the knees, she could imagine going further with him.  Being married to a sweet caring man was the least of her problems right now. 

She received two text messages from Ed this morning, she sat beside him driving into town. Looking at him studying him.

'Rings? First?' He stumbled through his thoughts, 'then court house?'

'Ok, just cheap ones,' she warned him.

'You wana make me look like a arsehole buying you the cheapest ring to wear?' he asked her. 'We need to go to the bank, sort our banking out, your banking out.'

She nodded, her phone was beeping she pulled it out of her bag with shaking hands to read it, he glanced her way as she tried to delete the message, he reached across grabbing it, pulled over to look at what was making her upset. He read the message and he was mad.

'That him?' he asked, she nodded he hit call.

'I knew you couldn't resist me, I can't wait to get my hands on you, around your pretty neck,' come a male voice over the phone.

'Tell you something arsehole, come near my wife I'll put my pretty little hands around your pretty neck, the I'll get my cross bow and fire it into your arse, you'll be squealing like a little bitch! ' Daryl warned him over the phone, the man on the end of the phone spluttered and cursed and hung up on Daryl.

'He hung up, don't think he will text again,' Daryl looked at her smiling, then he leaned in kissing her, her arms went around his neck pulling him closer. His hand went onto her thigh noting the sundress she was wearing gave him access to area's he hadn't seen yet, he pushed her away, looking at her swollen mouth. 'You still wana do this, I mean you could back out, we could try follow Soph and Bobby?'

'I could think of worst things to do than marry you, its ok, the sleeping arrangements might be a bit funny but, we will work it out,' Carol told him. 'I mean, I don't mind sharing,'

'Yeah, its fast but,........... fuck it, lets just go see if we can do this shit before Friday,' Daryl looked down at her legs again.

'This shit? Our love union?' Carol teased him, he run his hand up her thigh.

'Its not just about the kids, I just want you to know that, I................. fuck, I'm not good at this shit,' Daryl muttered, indicating driving out to finish their drive into town which would end up to be one of the weirdest trips about ever.

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

'I've got an idea,' Daryl told her, he gave her a quick glance.

'No! Oh God! What?' Carol asked him, 'your last idea we are still trying to get sorted,' 

'That's it, just we should go to the next town get stuff, cos the kids,' Daryl told her, 'Just small town big mouths,'

'Ok,'

'That's it, you agree,' He indicated left heading down a back road to the next town.

'Yes, the kids have to go to school, we want to keep it on the down low we are getting married because to keep them together, we need to look like we have been together for ages so us walking into town buying rings and licences might get people talking,' Carol gave him his thoughts in words. She nailed all his thoughts. He didn't want to go buy rings then go get married. It would look dodgy.

'That's it,' Daryl said.

'That's it,' Carol confirmed.

'How do you know,' Daryl asked.

'I just do,'  Carol told him, 'I just do,'

'You seem to,'

'I didn't agree just because of the kids,' Carol told him, 'It helps that your sexy,'

Daryl snorted, giving a low grumbling chuckle.

He took her hand walking down the town looking for somewhere where they could buy a ring. He felt like he should have left her standing out side and just chosen something for her that he wanted to buy her. Choosing Daryl's ring was easy, he had a choice of gold, white gold rings, he picked two he liked, and waited to see if Carol was going to choose a white gold ring or a gold ring, so he would match hers.

She kept picking and pointing to the cheap rings, he kept vetoing them. Quite a few come with matching wedding bands, one caught his eye, not raised too high a diamond in the middle with smaller diamonds peppered either side. What made it stand out was it was twisted white gold, the wedding band was twisted also with tiny diamonds all the way around, it was expensive, but he knew its was something she would be proud of, something that she could wear working with the kids, and wear forever.

He made her try them on, he could tell she loved them. He wouldn't let her see the price, he had seen the price it was pricey, she would not even look at agreeing to it if she knew. He went through the pretense of getting her to try other rings before sending her out of the store.

'Go out,' He pointed to the door.

'Why,' she asked.

'Just go out, I'll meet you out there,' He told her again, she left reluctantly telling him not to spend to much on a ring, the cheapest one would be fine. He waited for her to leave before pointing to the set he knew she loved.  It was expensive but if he had his way she would be wearing them for the rest of her life. He come out of the store she looked at him wondering which one he brought. He shook his head. Took her hand walking through town to the court house to find out how to go about being married.

There was an older judge in the office who told him he wasn't that busy, if they wanted they could get married this afternoon, if they filled in the information, he could fax it away pull in a couple of favours for them. He seemed to move faster when he found out they run the children's home and their time was a tight time frame. He held them at the court house for a while telling them he and his wife were foster parents, they had had over 30 children through their house and told them name by name which each child's name was, and what he loved about each one of his kids, and what they were doing for job's. He still had 3 at home, finishing up high school. 

Daryl nudged Carol the whole time to tell her they had this in the bag to get married. He old guy finally had everything sorted. He told them to come back at 3pm, he would marry them, bring a ring, he will have a couple of witnesses for them. Daryl nodded and Carol thanked him and said they will see him at three, Daryl was surprised she seemed a little excited cuddling into his side looking around.

'Wana go for a walk through that park?' Daryl asked her.

'Ok,' she looked at him, wondering why he wanted to take a walk now. She was in a panic, wanted to sit quietly and get to the bank.

He walked them to a little pond where some ducks were swimming around, he slowed his pace stopping and looking at her.

'What?' she asked. He cleared his throat and went bright red, he rubbed the back of his neck then dropped to one knee. Her hands flew to her mouth. Shocked at what he was doing.

'I ummmm just .......... ummmmmmmm I'm not good at this stuff, I wanna do it right if someone asks ya how I asked ya you got something to say,' He coughed and dug around in his pocket, opening the ring box away from her taking a ring out. He closed the box putting it back in his pocket so she couldn't see what he had brought.

'Daryl,' Carol thought she might cry because he was being so sweet.

'Shhhh, before I fuck it up and say fuck............... fuck..................' He looked at her, 'Would you marry me? Today? Help me raise some kids...................., let me be a proper husband to you............ not just a fake one, so they don't take the kids off us?'

He took her hand slipped the ring on keeping it covered coming up to kiss her, he finally let her see the ring he brought. 

'Its so pretty, its too much, Daryl really,' She whispered. 'Yes, I want you to be a real husband,'

'Shush,' he kissed her again, 'right now, lets go get married,'

The older Judge had everything in order for them. He married them quickly, had them kiss and made them sign their lives to each other. Carol had a big grin on her face when Daryl slipped her wedding band on her finger, he even caught a smile when she put the wedding band on him. Simple, easy, married. He bent to kiss her again, he was stoked, she was grinning.

One more stop, the bank, armed with their licence and with his new bride snuggled into his side they went to sort out a joint bank account, and two individual ones connected to the joint one. She cleared her bank account putting some of the money into their joint account and some into the individual account he insisted he had access to money for herself. Just in case she wanted to buy him a gift he teased. She laughed. 

It was getting late, he told her they needed to stop at the store. She looked at him with a question. 

'If we, ummmmmmmmm if things get ...... ummm............ well we are married now, we might share a bed............... ummmmmmmmm' Daryl managed to stammer out eventually.

'I've got some, remember, last week,' She told him.

'Is that enough?' he teased her, she looked at him deciding to go with it, like she had all day.

'Probably not,' she bit her lip a little, 'I probably should go get the pill or something, we really don't wanna have any more kids,'

'Yeah, I mean 12 is enough right,' Daryl chuckled. He held her hand driving back to the home. Finally pulling up the drive. Merle come out from the main house looking at them.

'Your never gona guess what,' he told them, 'Got another couple of kids,'

Daryl did a little groan thinking that any plan's for his wedding night was going to go out the window.

 

 

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys this was written on the run, I got locked out and had to go to ipad and it hit post so I've had to edit, its been posted and I hope its ok. It hasn't been proof read. Let me know. 
> 
>  
> 
> k someone asked me about the rings, so this is what I imagined. I want, I want, I want.
> 
> I also update where people comment, so if you comment I go re read that chapter it gets me inspired. I dont' want to put any of my fic's down, I love Neighbourhood watch and Rhees, Mermaids, but its hard to write if I get no feed back, there are some wonderful women here who keep me inspired. You all don't know how much I love getting comments, all writers do. Keep up the comments its my love drug. 
> 
> Bella??? sorry, asked me to update this fic. I did put it down because I wasn't inspired, so here we go, lets see what happened.

 

'Fabulous,' Daryl said, it didn't look like they needed to race to the doctors to get Carol on the pill any time soon, nor would they be celebrating keeping all the kids together adult style. 'How many,'

'2, a baby and a boy it say's he's 14, he's hissing like a stray cat not letting anyone near her,' Merle told them, 'You all get hitched?'

They both looked down and their left hands, Daryl found his voice first, 'Yeah,' 

'How old is the baby?' she asked.

'Little, like she's still on the tit little, not taking a bottle or none,' Merle told them, 'We been trying to get her off him but he won't budge, she won't take a bottle from him either, lost the mother last night, Dad's not in a good way in the hospital,'

'Short term?' Daryl asked.

'Dunno, depends on the father pulling though,' he told him, 'apparently the baby's not his, the father he's a cop, his partner the father of the baby shot their place up,'

'What?' Carol asked she stopped on the step, 'The bio Dad shot the husband? and the Mom?'

'Sounds like it, they just dropped them off, say the baby's little, still a bit floppy headed, the kid said 2 months or something,' Merle told them, 'If she won't take a bottle we gotta take her in, given us 3 hours to get her to take something, the doc said, or they going to put her on the drip or something,'

'Why are they here?' Daryl asked. 'Are we set up for a baby?'

'They live in town, we the closest, with room,' Merle led the way in, 'Some of the kids know him trying to talk to him some, he saw his Ma shot, He run with the baby, they found him hiding with her down the road some way,'

'What's his name?' Carol asked. 'We have stuff for a baby, there is a crib in the garage, we could bring it into our room,'

'Carl, Carl Grimes, his father is............' Merle started.

'Rick Grimes, I know him, I met him before,' Carol commented. Daryl followed her into the house, he had his hand on her lower back going in with her, suddenly feeling he could touch her whenever he felt like it.

'Oh Congratulations, we made up the honeymoon suite..................' Merle chuckled following them in. 

'Yeah sounds great,' Daryl mumbled 'Especially with a crib on its way in,'

'Daryl.................' Carol shook her head. 

'I was kidding, a baby in the bedrooms a wonderful idea,' Daryl told her. She reached behind him and held his hand following the noise of a baby crying. A teenaged boy looked at them with wild eyes, flashing around. He had the baby in his arms not willing to part with him at all.

'Hi, I'm Carol, this is my husband Daryl,' Carol started, 'We need to feed her, get milk in, or they going to take her off all of us,'

He just gave her a stare, Andrea looked beside herself, sitting near holding a bottle that the boy wouldn't let her try. He'd wedged them down between the couch so it made it difficult to even try grab the baby off him. She knew she had to get him to offer her up alone.

'We don't have a choice, if we don't get milk in she's going to hospital and she's going to be alone without you because they will make you stay here,' she knew she was playing hard ball, 'but if you let me try feed her, Daryl will put the crib in your room, you can share, then we will ring and check on your Dad?'

He looked from adult to adult, finally nodding, 'Her names Judith, you can't keep her,'

'I'm not going to keep her, but she doesn't like the bottle, so we gonna have to try,' Carol reached out so he could pass the baby, 'Come on, we will sit quietly, see if we can get her to drink something,'

He followed Carol into the den, she indicated for him to sit with her, the baby was hot and sweaty with tears for milk. Breast milk. They had bottled milk, she knew they had lots of different types in single serve amounts. She swaddled her up. Daryl come to the door to watch them, she looked up to see him watching she was calming them both down finally nudging the bottle to the edge of the mouth.

'You sing,' she instructed Carl.

'Sing her what?' he shook his head.

'Anything, she know's you, you talk, I'll rock,' Carol told him, she dropped drips of milk into her mouth, she sucked and cried, and shook her head away. Drip drip, she sucked and shook her head and cried. They sat for half an hour with the dripping and swallowing of the milk. Carl hummed beside her. Daryl left eventually, setting up the crib with Merle in the bedroom they would use for Carl.

'I'm trusting you,' Carol told him, 'Your not to run away, or leave,'

Carl looked at her, shook his head.

'Your thinking about it, Judith's too little to be out in the cold,' Carol warned him, 'She's not strong like you, she needs us to help you look after her,'

'I won't, I promise,' he told her.

'She needs us to keep her warm and safe,' Carol slipped the bottle into the mouth Judith sucked the rest of the bottle down while she was half asleep, 'See we did it, teamwork,'

When she finished the bottle Carol showed him how to burp her, rubbing her back. He could change a diaper easy, it was easy to see he had been helping change the baby.

'Do you think my Dad's going to die?' he asked Carol.

'I don't know, I don't know how bad he is or anything, maybe tomorrow, Merle or Daryl can take you in to visit,' Carol told him, 'Tonight, we need to keep feeding Judith and we can ring the hospital and find out,'

Carol took  the baby back off Carl and rocked her some more. 'Did they talk to you the police?'

Carl nodded, 'It was Shane, he went crazy and wanted Judith, Mom stopped him and he was shooting everywhere I took Judith and run away into the street,'

'Ok, your going to probably talk to one of the police again, but someone will be with you, Merle or Andrea, Daryl maybe. Your not alone, we can work this out,' Carol patted the little back, 'but we need you to be good, we need to care for Judith, and you,'

Daryl was hovering near the door, he couldn't believe it, she had such a calming influence on this kid. Merle told him he'd been hissing and fitting about everything for the past 3 hours, and a few words from Carol everything was calm. He watched her with the baby in her arms rocking it back and forward. Merle and Andrea were sorting the others out for dinner. What ever they could rustle up. The two little ones had been 'Helping' set up the baby crib and hanging off Daryl as he moved around.

Daryl knew they were not going to get a great deal of sleep tonight, he moved into the room. 

'Hey, dinner's ready,' he told them, 'Come on, we gotta eat, then then we ............. I guess we fly by the seat of our pants for the rest of the night.'

'Ok, we are coming, do you think you can ring the hospital?' Carol asked him, he nodded and headed off to see if he could pries information out of them. Sometimes you did sometimes you didn't depended on how bad things were. He was gone a wee while, Carol wondered if he'd gone off to do something else. He come to the door of the kitchen and gave Carl a head nod to follow him, Carl followed him down the hall a little, Carol passed off the baby to Andrea, she could hear Carl talking. Carol realized he was on the phone.

'Good news?' she asked.

'Somewhat, he's going to be in hospital a wee while lost his speen, but, should recover,' Daryl nodded with a half grin, 'One family not totally ripped apart,'

'Yeah,......................' Carol leave out some stress she was holding, the sadness in her chest wasn't so bad, these two would be going home eventually, 'He wants them?'

'Yeah, he wants them both,' Daryl muttered, he stepped close and snagged her hand and gave it a squeeze. 'I was nervous,'

'Yeah, me too,' Carol whispered.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ok I'm updating but I'm a little excited about tonight. Screams.

'Oh shit,' Carol felt her feet go out from under her as she sneaked into the bedroom she and Daryl were sharing, he'd gone to bed hours ago and she'd been up with Judith finally managing to get her to sleep beside her brother. She  pushed the crib up close to his bed so he could touch her while he slept. While she slept too. She put the baby monitor on so she would hear when she woke.

She tried to sneak in to go have a shower and go to bed without waking Daryl now they were sharing a room and she fell like a stone off a building hard onto something. She smacked her knees into someone on the floor.

'Offfffhhh! Oh my God! Fuck,' then a high pitched whinny sound come from Daryl. High pitched squealing followed.

She'd fallen like a log right on him she was sure she kneed him in the balls.

'You ok?' She tried to move off him looking for the lamp turning it on, he was on his side rocking holding his hands between the blankets. He was sleeping on the floor. 'Daryl?' she whispered in the dark.

'No,' he whispered rocking a little. His face was pale and he was biting his lip willing himself not to cry. She reached out brushing his hair from his face, to get a look at him. He looked in pain, she didn't really know what to do except saying over and over she was sorry.

'You want some ........... Ice? Would that help?' She crawled over to see tears in his eyes, 'Should I take a look?'

He shook his head holding them tight. 'No,'

'What were you doing on the floor?' 

'Was giving you privacy,' he groaned, 'Didn't know............. if you wanted to share or not,'

'Can you move?' Carol looked at him, he shook his head, 'I'm getting ice, can you get on the bed?'

She helped him move up onto the bed, he rolled onto his side with knees up rocking. He was growling in pain she didn't know if he was over exaggerating or it was really bad. She needed to see if there was any trauma, guys got kneed in the nuts all the time right?

'I'm looking when I get back, you might need to go to hospital or something,' Carol told him.

'Its fine,' he mumbled. He went back to rocking on his side and she left the room creeping down the hall she run into Merle in the dark. He was wearing pj pants and a tee shirt he had a torch checking everyone.

'Whats all the noise?' he whispered.

'Daryl's got a problem, I tripped and kneed him,' she whispered. Merle's hands quickly covered his own package. He looked at her with a question, 'No ........... not like that, he was sleeping on the floor for some dumb reason, I tripped on him, knees first,'

Merle lips twisted, 'I'll go check,' He headed off to their room, the biggest in the place with its own bathroom, the other adults rooms had a bathroom between with internal doors too it.  He went in to check Daryl. 'How bad is it?'

'Bad, like I think its broken' Daryl mumbled.

'Want me to look?' Merle offered.

'Fuck off get out of here,' Daryl growled at him.

She come back with the ice, Merle left her too it and tried to get his pants down he shook his head. She passed him the ice pack and cloth to put round it. He put it in the general area.

'For god sakes we are married let me see you balls,' Carol scolded him. 'I'm going to see them eventually unless your special and have like 6 or something?'

'Its ....................' His face flamed and he pulled down his pj's so she could look. He looked everywhere but at her.

'Ok, ............ you have a huge bruise on your thigh that could be causing some of the pain,' Carol leaned over the bed, he was on his back and she reached out to touch him to move him to take a good look at his balls. She was moving his dick around and it was firming up a little in her hand. 'Its not broken, you have blood supply going there,' she told him.

He went to pull up his pants, she stopped him, taking the ice pack an putting it on the bruise on his thigh. She took the time to run her eyes over the rest of him. 

'Nice, your not going to sleep on the floor again are you?' He shook his head. He moved the ice pack and pulled his pants up.

'Had a good look?' he asked her.

'Hmmm I'll have to check it tomorrow, to make sure there's no damage,' she told him.

'This is so embarrassing,' he mumbled.

'K going to shower now before Judith was up for another bottle,' she surprised him, and her by leaning in and kissing him before getting up, grabbing pj's and going to shower.

'

 

 

 

 

 


	12. Chapter 12

Daryl rolled over in bed looking at the time it was late really late like he should have taken the kids to school by now late. His head was a bit fuzzy still, Carol had insisted he take pain relief and anti inflammatory pill, he nudged his sack they were still tender but no where near the throbbing pain of last night. He'd given in at 4am when his tossing and turning had sent Carol insane.

'Take the things,' she had grumbled trying to get back to sleep again.

He'd taken them and fell asleep flat on his back something he didn't normally do he wondered if she slipped him something to make him sleep too. Slipped him a sleeping pill that's something Merle would do in the past when he'd been sick or hurt to make him sleep. He thought about it, how would Carol know where his meds were. He didn't even look at them half out of it in pain in the dark. He shook his head to clear it. 

'Fucken Merle,' he growled crawling out of the bed, noting his bag of clothes was in the corner of the room and someone had left them there. He crawled through the shower looking at his balls in the mirror, it hadn't stopped his morning wood though, he was kind pleased about that. He took a shower and washed himself, his finger kept reminding him of his wedding band on his finger. He was a married man now and he still hadn't had sex in years.

He dried and dressed in jeans and a tee shirt, he loved his job wearing what ever he liked when he wasn't meeting principles at schools, wearing a shirt and tie when he had too, he then headed off to go see where everyone was. He looked around the house was pretty quiet, he could hear the sounds of giggles outside as he walked through the kitchen he sniffed the air following his nose to the slow cooker on the kitchen bench. It was a commercial slow cooker and he lifted the lid smelling a massive casserole, he could smell something sweet and he lifted the tee towel covering a massive tray of chocolate brownies, he took one stuffing it in his mouth, quickly counting the cut squares to make sure he just didn't stuff up someone's counting for everyone. There was more than enough and he wandered to the window with the tray of brownies looking for the giggles.  He looked out the kitchen window and could see two little heads running around Carol who was trying to hang washing on the clothes line.

Bobby was laughing actually giggling loudly as he run in and out of the washing with Sophia. He watched then his eyes kept drifting towards Carol. He wondered what was going to happen there. They liked each other and kissed a lot, but it was still early days and now she was his wife. For reasons that quickly spun out of his control but for reason's he wanted. He wanted her, from the moment he saw her, he opened the door to her all done up on the door step. Leaving a wedding to help the kids.

Almost as if she sensed his eyes on her she looked up seeing him at the kitchen window and gave him a wave. She pushed the line around he could see she had a pram with her. He imagined it held Judith. She flashed him a smile and frowned a little while she saw him shoving brownies in his mouth, she gave him a warning shaking her head, he gave her a nod and kept eating. He ate faster when he noticed her heading towards the house, the brownies going dry in his mouth as he tried to finish it before she noticed how many he had actually ate and growled at him for eating the desert for tonight's dinner. He quickly put the cover back on them hoping she wouldn't look and he could blame Merle or something.  He had a really bad sweet tooth, he loved chocolate.

She brought the kids back inside the Sophia and Bobby tore through the house to the games area to play with the toys that were there. Running past Daryl with only a small greeting. Carol followed more slowly and indicated for him to help lift the pram up the three steps into the house.

'Good morning, how are your............. ummm things?' Carol offered him a smile and a brief kiss on the mouth. She could taste the chocolate and kissed him again. He knew they had to get used to doing things like that pulling off they had been together for ages would be better for both if open displays of affection wasn't stilted. Forced. So he tugged her hand so she was flat against him holding her there gently.

'Good, I think they will work again,' he bent his head to kiss her again. 'Where did you get the meds?'

'Merle, he said they were yours,' she looked at him, 'Why?'

'You both slipped me a sleeping pill,' he told her, her lips twisted trying not to smile.

'Merle told me they were prescribed for you,' Carol told him.

'They are but I don't like taking them, just sometimes I have a hard time sleeping, but he shouldn't have given them to you to give to me,' he mumbled.

'It was probably my fault,  I told him you weren't sleeping well and driving me insane. He went and got the pills, I didn't even look,' she bit her lip, 'You didn't look ether,'

'Where is Merle?' he asked, Carol moved from his arms to check Judith. She started mucking around with bottles getting them clean for her.

'Gone with Carl, to the hospital,' she told him. She lifted the cover on the brownie tray and her mouth dropped open, he'd eaten more than two he'd eaten half a tray of brownies while watching her hang out the washing.

'How much did you eat?' she stared at him then the tray.

'Just one,' he lied, 'it wasn't me,'

'Your lying to me, and we have only been married less than 24 hours,' she scolded him. He shook his head.

'It was Merle, he ate them,' Daryl tried to tell her.

'He's been gone for hours, I hadn't even baked them then,' she growled at him, 'You better fix it, we got to do some clean up before dinner, and we need to talk about Sophia,'

He followed her down to check on the little ones who were both playing with the blocks on the floor building. He followed her into the first bedroom and they started cleaning up, making beds opening windows, and generally straightening out the bedrooms. They popped back and forwards checking the kids. They were fine, Judith was fine, Daryl wasnt. He was buzzing around on a chocolate sugar rush.

'Thats what you get for eating that much,' she told him, 'It had so much chocolate in it,'

'You were going to give that to the kids?' he asked

She shook her head, 'Was going to hide it for us adults to eat for supper, but now you will miss out for the next week,'

'Noooooooooo make me miss out on something else,' Daryl told her. 'What about Sophia?'

'Well................... I was thinking in the middle of the night, .............. I was thinking,' Carol told him, he stopped waiting for her to say what ever she needed to say, 'I think, today when we drop of all our stuff to show we are married, we should see if we could adopt Sophia? They might move her, they won't move Bobby, but they could move Soph,'

Daryl stood there staring at her, 'What about Bobby?'

'Cos there's two, people won't want two kids with that many problems,  big age gap, they are safe, you know they're safe, but Sophia, they could take her,' Carol looked at him, 'Can we?' 

Daryl stood there starring at her wondering if he was understanding properly. 'You know, every time we adopt a kid, thats money we don't get from the government, we got to pay for everything, school, college, clothes, food, we keep her, she's ours. Forever!'

'I know, but,' she looked up at him, 'You love her,' shed seen it on his face every time he looked at her when he remembered her parents. He had a real soft spot for her, Carol hoped she wasn't speaking out of turn.

'No I don't, I never said................................. fuck,' Daryl scratched his head, 'Fuck, ................... ' 

'If they were to take her away?' Carol asked him.

'Fuck that shit, we're adopting her,' Daryl told her, nodding his head. 'Lets get this done, then get our stuff, nappy bags whatever we need to go sort this out,' Carol nodded, 

 

 

 

 


	13. Chapter 13

The paper work they needed to fill out didn't take long. They dotted the i's and crossed the t's and things were on the roll. They didn't need a home evaluation, they just needed to be approved. They were asked why they wanted to adopt Sophia especially. They were in the office of Eugene Potter who was by all accounts a man who was straight up and down and did things by the books.

Daryl was nervous so she reached out and held his hand to stop him from nipping at his thumb and looking at his hands. His leg started bouncing. Sophia and  Bobbi started playing with the toys quietly in the corner when they were pointed out that they could by Carol. Sophia flashed everyone her smile and stopped to rub baby Judith head for a bit before climbing over Daryl taking a long way to the toy box. Bobbi stood looking at them checking with them that it was ok for him to play with the toys.

'Daryl knew the parents, he tried to help them when Sophia was little,' Carol told him, 'They saved Sophia by telling them about the drop shoot, and she's been moved from home to home, we think she needs a stable home, with us,'

'So just Sophia?' He looked at them, 'Why just Sophia?'

'Cos she's been bounced around ten homes in the past 3 years, she likes us we like her,' Daryl told him. 'We want to be her parents, keep her with us, safe,'

'Its just unusal for caregivers to want to adopt children in their care, I'm just checking for the right reasons, you know once you adopt her you are responsible for her, her schooling everything. She will have your name. You can't give her back,' Eugene warned them.

'We want her,' Daryl told him. 'She needs us and we need her,'

'We want to have her as our daughter, we don't want her moving from home to home especially now we have a bond with her, Daryl's known her since she was a new born,' Carol added, she gave his hand a squeeze not quite believing they were going to be given a child to have forever all based on one big fat lie. Their marriage, they hadn't even had sex and they were running around claiming children based on a vibe they like each other, she liked kissing him but he might be really really bad in bed.

What if he thought she was bad in bed, what if they were both bad in bed. All these's sexual thoughts went racing through her mind. She'd seen his dick but what if he didn't like her. It was driving her crazy, when Merle and Andrea got home she was taking him to the small house and screwing his brains out to get it out of the way.

'Fine I'm approving the adoption, once all the paper work is completed you will be sent official confirmation in the mail.' Eugene told them.

'Just like that?' Carol asked.

'Well generally it could take months to get all the information we need, assess the homes, you both and Sophia, but we have all that, there only one person who needs to approve it and thats me, then I need to get it stamped by the judge.' he told them. 'Anyone else you want to adopt?' His glance went to Bobbi over at the toys with Sophia. Carol was nursing Judith.

'We can't afford to really yet, we want him, but we can't afford two more yet,' Daryl stated, 'What's the chances of them moving on?'

'Well I've had Bobbi through my office many many times I've never seen him so............... so........ normal? Happy,' He told Daryl, 'Look, why don't you apply for permanent placement, you'll still get paid for him but it won't be in the group home. He will be permanently placed. Toby too I assume?' 

'Please,' Carol said, 'How would this affect staffing?' she looked a bit worried.

'It won't. I'm going to permanently place Toby and Bobbi with you, we already had positive feed back from the school this week about Toby, so we need them to stay,' He told them. 'I can see by the records with the school in such a short time all the kids are settled and calm, the home they are in is basically their last chance.'

'I heard that rumor they not bad kids,' Daryl told him. 'They just need love, they been moved around from place to place not given a chance before they moved again,'

'I'm not saying you are not going to get some tough cases, we want to get some of them into homes with families but its in Bobbi's and Toby's best interest to stay with you, and now of course your daughter Sophia Dixon,' Eugene fiddled around printing out official letter for them to use should they need to take her to the doctors. They could now register her at school under their name. Carol was grinning ear to ear, Daryl stood shook his hand and called to the kids to come with them so they could go to the store and pick up some stuff they needed.

She stood beside him and he didn't bat an eyelash as she put through a separate order which included condoms, whipped cream, lube, massage oil, chocolate sauce and some apples and pain meds. He just watched and bit his lip watching them put all the stuff into a bag and he pulled out her card to pay for it all. He didn't know what was gonig to happen but he was sure he was going to like it.

 

 


	14. Chapter 14

'Hi,' Carol said, she stuck her head out the kitchen door, Daryl was bringing in the washing. They hadn't told anyone they adopted Sophia yet, they decided to wait until they got the official certificate, they also didn't know how to go about the fact they adopted one and not them all. They would but they couldn't afford to feed and look after 12 kids, they would if they could but they just couldn't. They did what they could for the two boys, adopting Sophia, the other kids were not so bad they probably wouldn't be moved at all, they would look at that if it come up. At the moment they decided to keep mum about everything. They didn't even tell Sophia in case she was going to tell.

Bobbi and Toby were safe. As far as they knew, Daryl was going to catch up with Eugene during the week to check if the other kids could be placed in permanent care with them at the home. Carol was waiting for the right time to tell Andrea that they were going to adopt Sophia, she was like a sister to her but first she had plans to bed her husband, or get him naked.

'Hi,' He come up the steps carrying a massive basket of clothes, Carol took them off him and put them on the table. She gave him a kiss, they decided they should kiss and hug hello and goodbye every time they did something to get them used to doing that without major blushing on Daryl's part, so they would develop natural affection towards each other without it looking forced. She'd taken to patting him on the arse when they were alone or stroking down his arm. She felt like she was almost forcing him to touch her. He was struggling, she could tell it was because of his upbringing. 

'Come on we are off, Merle and Andrea are on duty, Judith's gone down and they will come get us if we are needed,' she told him, They had 16 hours till they needed to put back in an appearance, she already been over and stocked the little fridge and changed the sheets in the room he'd been using. She put put condoms and anything they may need in the side drawer.  'We need to go do some things,'

'Things?' Daryl asked, 'What sort of things?' He'd be lying if he wasn't thinking about the things that went across in front of him at the supermarket. He was aching to touch her, he could barely contain himself every time she kissed or hugged him.

'Gonna pack a picnic supper, there's supposed to be a nice pond near here,' Carol told him, She pointed to a picnic basket on the table, she had it open and had been filling it with bits and pieces for supper for two, she reached up high to pull down the secret brownie container. Daryl started to bolt out of the kitchen when she opened it. 

'WAIT!!! Right there,' She called after him. He turned giving her what he hoped was a winning grin, she'd opened it and it was empty, he held his hands up in surrender.

'It was Merle,' He told her nodding.

'No it wasn't it was you,' She told him.

He stood there shaking his head.

'I can see I'm going to have to hide my period chocolate from you. A whole tray Daryl,' She growled him.

'Sorry, it was............ so.................... good,' He told her.

'Yeah well I wouldn't know because you ate it all.' She looked annoyed about it. 'You can't just do that, now your telling fibs like your 5,'

'It was Merle,' Daryl told her straight face, he couldn't keep his face straight, he hung his head, 'I can't help it,'

'Go check your daughter, make sure she's asleep before we go out,' Carol told him, he quickly realized she wasn't that cross with him more annoyed she couldn't use the treat in their picnic. Carol shook her head wondering how he come to have such a thing about chocolate.

'My daughter huh?' Daryl had a big shit eating grin on his face, 'What are you going to do with that chocolate sauce anyway?' Daryl asked her, he had some ideas but didn't know how to bring it up.

'I put it on the kids ice creams after dinner,' she told him, 'What did you think  I was gong to do with it?'

'Dunno, I could think of some things,' he told her, 'I'm going to check Soph, and everyone, where is Merle?'

'They are in the lounge, then they going to sleep in the house,' Carol told him, 'We are sleeping in the little house,'

'Alone?' Daryl asked, 'Alone, just you and me?' 

'Just you and me,' Carol told him, 'Get sorted we go out for a picnic then we come back,' she looked him in the eye, he was nervous, she was nervous, but they needed to spend more time together to make this work in case they were investigated. They needed to be a couple. Quickly.

They loaded the picnic and the blanket into Daryl's truck and Carol pulled open the map looking for the pond on the map. She pointed out the route for him to follow then they started off to go on their picnic. She could tell Daryl was nervous, she didn't know why, he didn't seem to be nervous when he was on the mission to save the kids, but he seemed to like her a lot but was nervous about taking it to the next step.

Daryl pulled into the dirt park by the small pond looking around. He could see a small pier towards one end. They moved out of the  truck, Carol grabbed the blanket and Daryl pulled the basket out and they walked quietly side by side down to the little pier to sit. She sat down on the blanket and opened up the picnic basket and Daryl was still standing there watching.

'Come on sit down, I brought chocolate,' Carol told him. He was walking down to the end of the pier looking around he was nervous. She opened up some chocolate cheesecake. Put some on a plate, and held it out to him. 'Try it,'

'That chocolate,' Daryl asked, he took it and walked down to the end of the pier walking down eating it glancing back at her nervous.

'Daryl come sit,' Carol patted the seat beside her. He glanced at her and walked back to her finally sitting down. He sat cross legged looking at her with his plate on his knee. She pulled out the chocolate sauce bottle and waved it in front of him. 'You want?'

Daryl held out his plate for her to put the sauce on his cheesecake. 'Sooooooooooo what are we really doing here?' he finally asked her.

'Hanging, talking, maybe we could make out a little?' Carol told him. She leaned across and kissed him on the mouth quickly. He still had chocolate cheese cake in his mouth, he swallowed and leaned back over kissing her back. He put the plate down beside him and moved some things and moved closer to her. He leaned in and kissed her again flicking his tongue across her bottom lip.

He moved her back onto her back onto the blanket moving across her body, his hand going behind her head to guide it to the deck so she didn't bump it. She pulled him closer by grabbing a fist full of his shirt and pulled him the rest of the way onto her. His mouth went to her neck, and she felt her stomach lurch, her body become hot. She shoved her hands through his hair. He moved right onto her wedging himself between her thighs, and he was tugging at her shirt so he could have access to her skin under it.

She stroked down the front of his pants with the palm of her hand. She could feel him hard straining against the front of his jeans. He was groaning in her ear pushing himself into her hand. She undid the top button of his jean's and her hand glossed over his belly, one finger daring to go into his underwear. She stroked a finger across the tip of his dick and he groaned really loudly in her ear. She couldn't get more access to him so she pulled her hand up under his shirt some more.

Her hands drifted over his jeans and then pulled at his shirt her hands running over his back. He stopped what he was doing for a second and she pulled him closer to her. His fingers dipped under her jeans, glossing her panties when he pulled back a little he was grinding against her. They had been kissing and touching each other on top of their clothes for some time when he pulled back a little, he stroked the hair off her face. He leaned in and kissed her, then pulled off her, rolling to his side.

'We don't wanna get caught with our arses hanging out,' he told her.

'Our arses?' Carol asked, she rolled onto her side snuggling into him, 'Maybe we should go home take this there,' 

'Are you suggesting we go home and make out some more, I'm in,' He rolled over quickly making short work of the picnic they barely touched and had it and her in the truck before she knew what was going on.

 


	15. Chapter 15

He almost ripped her arm off trying to help her out of the truck banging her nose on the door, blood was dripping down her face. He reached under the seat pulling out an emergency diaper bag and found wipes to help.

'I'm sorry, is it bad?' he asked her.

'No its not too bad,' she told him, she could see the worried look on his face, 'Its fine Daryl, you just, I don't know your kinda bouncy when your nervous,' 

'I ate the cheese cake,' he told her, admitting he ate what was left while she wasn't watching while he was getting it cleared out. 'and followed it with a chaser of chocolate sauce,'

'So you just had a mega hit of sugar?' she asked him, he nodded, then twitched a little helping her down. 'Did you eat dinner?' 

'Ummmmm define dinner?' he asked her.

'The roast chicken and vegies we all had, well Andrea and I left you and Merle a plate each did you eat it,' Carol asked him. He was shuffling around looking at her under his hair. He bit his lip, she could tell he was about to lie about it.

'Ummmmmm ' he started to say, she shook her head moving up to the little house checking her nose as she went. It had stopped, Daryl was bouncing along close behind her, he stood in the middle of the room looking around. Someone had been there, stacked up dvd's for adult comedy's and it just looked different like someone had super cleaned it. Carol come out of the bathroom and opened a well stocked fridge, she opened the cupboard and pulled out a loaf of crusty bread, put together a platter of cheeses and spreads on a wooden board. 

She put it on the table. 'Eat, your on a huge sugar rush,'

'I ate, I'm good,' Daryl sat down and his knee was bouncing all around, he was so jacked up on sugar. He'd eaten the whole tray of brownies, she hadn't seen him eat breakfast, lunch or dinner, but had seen him eating a chocolate bar and biscuits at some stage. He was going to come down with a hiss and a roar soon. He'd eaten the whole cheese cake too.

'Tell you what, you eat some normal food, while I shower and if you do you can come in with me,' she told him, his legs bounced and he tore a hunk of bread off, took the glass of water she offered him and took a bite and chewed. He chewed looking at her and was looking at her in such a way it made her feel dirty. 

'It might be nicer if you put some spreads and cheese on them,' she told him, he nodded and looked at the stuff on the board and made himself a fancy cheese sandwich.

'How much do I need to have?' he asked her, 'Did you bring that chocolate sauce? Cos I got an idea,'

'Your not putting it on the cheese?' Carol asked him when she dug through the picnic basket, handing it to him.

'Nah thinking about putting it on you.' Daryl told her then put his hand over his mouth, he then started coughing as he tried to swallow his mouthful down, 'Shit, didn't mean to say that, I just like it,'

'Putting chocolate sauce on women?' she asked him, he started coughing again shaking his head. He took a drink and tried to calm his breathing.

'Just chocolate,' He told her, 'anything chocolate,'

'Well you need to eat other stuff too,' she told him walking out of the room to go shower, he stayed sitting at the table shoving bread and cheese into his mouth and listening to her turning the shower on. When he thought he'd had enough food to let him into the bathroom, he moved around the rooms pulling all the curtain's locked the door, turned on the intercom and turned up the phone in case they were needed. 

He opened the bathroom door and could spell sweet smells coming from inside the shower, he kicked his jean's off and pulled off his shirt hesitating for a moment moving about to brush his teeth and using mouth wash. Cheese and kissing was not a winning combination. She pulled back the shower curtain looking at him looking at her through the bathroom mirror.

'Its going to be a tight squeeze, I forgot how tiny this shower was,' she told him, she pulled back the shower curtain and left him standing there in his boxers, he dropped them and stepped inside. His frame suddenly blocked all the water as they awkwardly moved around a little so the water hit them both. He went for it kissing her on her mouth, wrapping his arms around her.

'I ate the cheese, and the bread,' he told her, 'I aint gonna lie about the chocolate no more,' he told her as he moved down from her mouth to her neck.

'We both know that's a lie,' she told him. Her hands went over his back, and she felt why he'd been removed from his family home, she didn't say anything just touched him. She'd washed, and he was hard pressing against her. She moved back, 'I'm gonna get out and dried, you do whatever guys do washing, I'll meet you on the couch, we can watch a movie or something?'

'Or something,' Daryl told her, knowing fine well he wasn't about to watch no movie now he'd seen her naked he needed to kiss every part of her. He washed himself, everywhere twice, just in case, wrapped a towel around himself and went out to the lounge seeing her sitting on the couch with remotes. She had a blanket under her and on top of her, she pulled back the blanket for him to sit, he could see she was naked and he dropped his towel. He'd never watched a comedy naked before.  She snuggled into his side and hit play.

Ten minutes in, they both were still as boards pretending to watch neither knowing how to go about making the first move, slowly her hand moved down inch by inch by inch. By the time her hand reached his cock he was rock hard with excitement. He took that as his opening and leaned over to kiss her, then pulled back looking at her.

'I'm not very good at this sort of stuff,' he whispered, 'I mean I done it before but, fuck,' he leaned back, resting his head on the back of the couch, her hand still wrapped around his cock. 'I mean, we didn't even know each other a week ago now you go your hand on ma dick, we're married with a kid,'

Carol burst out laughing, 'I don't know either, lets just try,' She moved herself onto his lap facing him, taking her hand off him to adjust herself. She could feel him pressed against her belly, she leaned in to kiss him some more. 'I'm not that experienced either,' 

They touched and explored each other with their hands and their mouths, he moved onto a nipple sucking not so gently making her wince and he mumbled 'Sorry,' he was eager to be moving on her, she wrapped her hand around him and began to stroke him. He run his hand down between her legs.

'How are you ummm your things?' Carol whispered, testing their weight in her hands.

'Yeah, keep checking them,' he moaned moving over to her other nipple, she moved up stroking him feeling some wetness coming out of his tip, then he groaned and stiffened on top of her. She felt him come all over her hand and thigh, he pulled back and tried to jump off her embarrassed, she moved her hand and wiped it on his back pulling him up to kiss him some more. His hand slipped between her legs and she stopped him pulling everything to a halt.

'Did I do something else wrong, apart from coming all over ya?' Daryl whispered, his hand was still between her legs.

'I................ ummmm I talk a big game buying the condoms but I haven't done this before,' she looked up at him and whispered, 'I've done stuff, but not the stuff that requires the stuff,'

'Your a ..............' Daryl started to say and she slapped her hand over his mouth.

'Don't say it,' she whispered, 'Don't, I just never wanted to with anyone,'

'Now?' Daryl asked her, he'd just come all over her and could feel himself stirring he didn't want to force himself on her, he would wait. He didn't need sex, sure he wanted now she was sprawled out in front of him but a stiff walk around the yard could fix that.

She nodded, 'I just don't want you to, I guess be disappointed, or think I'm bad at it,'

'How can you be bad at it?' he asked her, 'as long as we both want it, I'm fine, kissing's fine, if all you want to do is kiss, I'm good,'

'I want to, could we go into bed?' she asked him. He nodded, they moved slowly off the couch kissing and touching each other the whole way into the bedroom.

 

 


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh god, I feel nervous, I put this off a little, I'm fine writing about sex but didn't think it through when such high expectations to be put onto it being her first time. EEEEEKKKKKK!

Daryl's heart was pounding he felt like all eyes were going to be on him for making it special for Carol. He'd never been with a virgin even when he was a virgin. A few quick fucks here and there but this was a new ball game. He wasn't sure what to do, he pulled back the sheets of the bed indicating for her to get in. She climbed in and pulled the sheets up to her neck looking at him wide eyed.

'Ummmm where did you put the rubbers?' he asked her looking around the room, she indicated to the top draw he pulled it out and saw condoms and lube in there. He pulled out a couple little squares and put them on the dresser. He wasn't much for lube figuring he could get them wet enough himself. He wasn't sure he put that out too so he did just in case she was nervous or it hurt or something and he needed to use it.

His hands were sweaty, she was nervous, he was naked and so was she, he sat down on the side of the bed. He'd never been responsible for anyone else virginity except his own, back then it was with some chick who he didn't even know who it was, nor could he tell anyone who it was now. He turned off the main light and left the bedside lamp going. He lay on his side and looked at her, she stared at him with her big blue eyes.

'So a blushing virgin bride?' he teased a little trying to break the ice a little. 

'I've done stuff,' She looked at him, 'Just not,........................'

'Its ok, have you ummmmmmmmmmmmm what are your thoughts here? You had plan's for how you want to do this or you just want me to..................... go ahead?' He blushed a little.

'Just do it,' she whispered.

She was way on the other side of the bed, if she moved a little she would fall out, he wriggled a little to get into the middle, he held his arms out for her to come to him. She wriggled until she was on her side facing him, he run his hand down her side.

'It might hurt ya,' he whispered, 'Let me know if I'm doing something you don't want me too,'

'K,' she moved in to kiss him, she liked kissing him, she hoped by kissing him he would get the idea to stop talking about it because he was making her nervous. They were both nevous and he tried to calm down a little by getting into the kissing. Then he let his hands wander her body gently. Stroking up and down her back, she was touching him some too. Less rushed, they had all night to get this right. 

He dipped his head finding her neck, making himself familiar with it, one of his hands found a breast. He rolled a nipple and then palmed a breast, squeezing it testing it weight in his hand. Her soft moans let him believe he was making it good for her. He often heard girls didn't come the first time they had sex so his mission was to make her blow before he even tried to enter her.

He moved his hand down between her legs and opened up her folds and stroked her clit. She shuddered and kissed him harder, he stroked her up and down before moving her onto her back, looking down at her admiring her. She tried to cover herself from his gaze and he moved her hands away and put his mouth where her hands had been sucking and licking her nipples. He could feel her hands in his hair and he kissed his way down. He spread her legs and moved in were his hand had been. Licking and sucking on her clit. He knew he was doing something right by her thrashing on the bed.

He kissed his way along her inner thighs, she was groaning and panting under his touch. He moved back up licking his way from top to bottom then into the middle diving his tongue into her, moving it in and out. He moved her so he legs were up over his shoulders and he could bury his face deeper into her. He dipped a finger into her feeling around. She was grinding herself on his hand, he found the rough patch he was looking for and rubbed it with his finger tip while he kept kissing and sucking on her clit. He felt her clamp down on him, coming hard and fast around his finger. He was so hard he nearly lost it right then and there, he kept licking lapping at her until she finished.

He moved off her picking up a foil square rolled it on and positioned himself above her, guiding himself into her soaking wet core. He felt resistant and she was tight as fuck. He moaned as he pushed, he could feel her straining to take him in. He pulled away grabbing the lube and putting it everywhere, he moved to try enter her again. She moaned and gave a high pitched squeal as he entered her, he stopped half way. He bent down and kissed her, he was concerned about her wincing and her cheeks were wet.

'You ok?' he whispered, 'I can stop,'

'Yeah, I'm fine' she managed to get out. 'Fine, I'm fine, keep going, I want to do it,'

She gave a little high pitched ouch as he pushed through. Seating himself inside her, he stayed still as can be waiting for her to give him any sort of indication he could move. He could still feel her pulsing around him he moved slowly, pulling her leg up over his hip. He was close anyway, he nearly blew his load when she come in his mouth. A few more strokes and he was done. Coming hard inside her. He pulled out slowly, holding the base of the condom seeing the blood on it he threw it in the direction of the waste basket, he looked over his shoulder at her. She was still lying there. He could see she was bleeding a little from him.

'Come on, I'll help you clean up a little,' he told her, she winced and nodded, he helped her from the bed and she made it to the bathroom, sitting down sorting herself out. He suggested she shower it might make it feel a bit better.  He knew he stretched her, she was tight, he was feeling sorry for himself and her that he done that to her and she was in pain because of him.\

'Carol I'm sorry,' he whispered to her hearing her wince in the shower, he didn't know if she was crying or not. 

'Why are you sorry?' she come out of the shower into the towel he was holding out. 'You didn't hurt me on purpose, I asked you to do it,'

'I shouldn't of, you haven't done it before and I hurt you,' Daryl really didn't know what else he should say.

'Its ok Daryl. I'm fine, my door bell been well and truly rung,' she moved in to kiss him, 'and tomorrow, we going to try it again,'

'Tomorrow huh?' he asked, he moved into the shower to wash himself, clean up a little then met her in bed to snuggle down with her. Until the morning. When hopefully they could try again.

 

 


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys my key board went now I had to buy a new one. Sorry for any delays.

Daryl stirred a little, feeling weight on him. Carol was buried into his side, so close he was starting to sweat a little, he moved ever slightly and her hand reached around grabbing at him in his sleep. He was  surprised she was doing that. He wriggled away rolling out of the bed and went to use the bathroom, brushed his teeth. When he come out she was half awake in the bed. It was early, checking the clock not quite 6am.

Carol looked at him wondering what to do now, he was walking around shamelessly naked. She looked him up and down, catching sight of him fully and seeing his scars, tats and everything all in the morning light. She rolled out of bed moving herself, grabbing a tee shirt of his pulling it on and heading to the bathroom herself. She looked in the mirror and groaned a little see the razor burn on her neck and mouth. 

She turned the shower on pulling off his tee shirt stepping inside to shower and hopefully sooth away the dull ache in between her legs. She didn't want to say anything about it, maybe next time it wouldn't be so uncomfortable. She really wanted to talk to Andrea. She also knew she didn't want to try again until she spoke to her. She finished up her shower and pulled on his shirt and dug in the drawer for some panties she had there. She could see he was either sleeping or foxing her. She pulled on her jeans and walked quietly bare footed out to the lounge picking up the phone to call Andrea.

She wasn't experienced at all but knew she had a good time, he made it good for her but it hurt like a bitch. She whispered into the phone calling over to the house. Andrea had just fed Judith and the other kids were sleeping, she left the baby with Merle to rock back to sleep and ducked over to see Carol.

Daryl opened his eyes when he heard the front door opening and the smell of coffee wafting through the air, the giggles and whispers from Carol and Andrea. He had faked being asleep for Carol's sake, he knew something was up an he was just waiting for her to say something. He heard footsteps to the bedroom door and he shut his eyes, and felt Carol's gaze on him, she went back to the lounge saying he was asleep.

He listened to every word they were saying about him, wondering what was actually going on. He couldn't tell if she was bagging him out or upset or regretted everything. He didn't know what else to do but lie in bed and listen to them.

'I don't know, it was big,' he heard Carol whisper loudly, 'Like big that I wondered how it was going to fit big,'

'So your hurting?' he heard Andrea's giggle, 'He popped your cherry with his baloney baton?'

'Andrea that's gross,' Carol giggled, Daryl groaned and put his head under the pillow, they were talking about the size of his dick. He didn't know whether to be embarrassed or flattered. He knew he had a bigger than average one, even bigger than Merle. Geeze.

'So your girly bits are sore, its like riding a bike you need to get back on it and take it for another spin, the seat will get more comfortable the more you ride it,' Andrea stated.

Carol was blushing bright red, she never really discussed sex with Andrea but knew she was her go to girl for any tips or advice on it. How to make it not so sore down there, the first time she half listened as Andrea suggested she might need a princess pillow for her vag. Carol knew she was joking, away from the children her mouth run dirty and foul sometimes over sharing information a great deal.

'Please, all jokes aside, what do I do? I'm not that good at anything,' Carol asked her, 'Guys either, what if I'm really bad at it?'

'Carol, chill out, learn to ride with two hands on the handle bars before you think about doing wheelies and skids right?' Andrea told her, 'Wear a rain coat,'

'We got rain coats,' Carol whispered, 'I might need to go get something, are you................ what do you use?'

Andrea was surprised at all the questions, usually she put her hands over her ears telling Andrea she didn't want to hear about her birth control or if she had slept with someone, although Andrea had been having a dry spell for the past year. Both girls lying low as Carol's ex boyfriend had been stalking her, both of them sticking together.

'I've got a thing,' Andrea told her, 'a IUD, it just sits up there doing its thing, I don't have to worry about it, but I use condoms,'

'Is that one of those things that sits there for 5 years?' Carol whispered.

'Yeah, you don't want kids yet? Its your best option then you can get them taken out,' Andrea looked around then at Carol's face when  she mentioned having children, 'What?'

'We're adopting Sophia,' she told her, 'We filed the paper work,'

'Sophia? She's yours?' Andrea looked stunned, 'They're letting you?'

'She's ours, its official but we were waiting on the certificate,' Carol admitted.

'My my your sneaky,' Andrea grinned, 'So I'm a Aunty?' Carol nodded.

'Shush, I promised Daryl we would tell you both at the same time,' Carol told her, 'Sophia doesn't know either,'

'So we have more to talk about but I need to get back so you need to tell me more about Daryl's meat popsicle, how big is it?' Andrea brought the conversation back to it again.

'Bigger than Merles,' Daryl told them watching their jaws drop and Andrea bail from the house, fleeing out the front door and down the steps with a yelp. Daryl looked at Carol and shook his head, 'I'm going to have a shower to wash my baloney baton, then we can see what we can do about you sore.......................' he indicated to her lower bits. Carol just wanted the floor up and swallow her whole.

 

 

 

 

 


	18. Chapter 18

Carol watched as the bathroom door closed behind him, she could see Andrea slipping into the kitchen of the group home. She wanted the door to open up and swallow her. She also wanted to burst into the bathroom to apologizes, but was worried he might want privacy in there. She didn't know what he wanted to do really.

She moved about putting coffee on, she knew he liked to drink coffee and eat chocolate. She moved about thinking she might get out of whatever trouble she might be in by making him chocolate chip pancakes or something. She looked in the cupboards and saw she had everything except chocolate. She looked around and went into the bedroom, Daryl had had this room before they were married. Lots of his stuff was still here.

She opened the wardrobe and stood on her tippee toes and bingo, cakes of chocolate were stashed up there. She took a block of white and a block of brown taking it back into the kitchen, she had the batter whipped up and the pan going when Daryl come out of the bathroom. Towel around his waist walking over to where she was tipping the batter into the pan. 

When she'd put the bowl down she felt his hands come to her hips and his lips come to her neck.

'Mornin,' he said, looking at the chocolate on the bench and the pancakes. 'Chocolate pancakes?'

'Special occasion or something,' she told him.

'Or you think I'm mad? And your supplying me with chocolate to distract me from the fact you were discussing my dick with Andrea this morning?' He asked her.

'Special occasion,' she whispered nodding her head. She tilted her head back for another kiss. She moved and he moved with her, hands on her hips following her around as she grated chocolate into his pancake. When she had a pile for them to eat she put them on the table he finally let go moving around to get cups for their coffee and plates and knives and forks for their food.

Carol sat down across from him, then blushed realising he still was wrapped in just his towel. She looked down his body drinking in every mark, scar and tattoo on him. Daryl caught her looking and blushed a little.

'Going back for a nap after this if you ummmmmmmm wana,' he told her.

 Carol watched as he blushed a little, he was sitting naked bar a towel at 7am in the morning eating pancakes talking about going to be to have sex.

'I want to have a shower, then we could go lie down for a bit,' Carol said softly, Daryl started eating fast and downed his coffee. 'We can't if you end up choking,'

'I'm just hungry, need to keep up my strength,' he teased her, she finished eating. She was well aware they were staring at each other. He leaned over to give her a kiss, 'Now go shower then come to bed, I'll let you talk about my dick all you like, you can name it if you wanna,'

'Name it?' Carol put her hand over her mouth and giggled. 

'Yeah, I didn't like the name you and Andrea seem to like naming things, you need to name it something better,' Daryl teased her.

Carol shook her head and stood to go shower. He grabbed her hand as she walked passed pulling her onto his knee, he kissed her then let her go, 'You better go fast, or I'm gonna start naming it myself,'

'Daryl be serious,' Carol called over her shoulder heading into the bathroom. She showered and brushed her teeth. She  wrapped herself in a towel to go into the bedroom Daryl was lying back on pillows reading a huge text book, he looked up over at her as she come into the room. He tracked her with her eyes around the side of the bed. She dropped the towel with her back to him and sat down with her back to him. He reached over and traced a finger down her spine.  She shivered and turned her head to the side looking at him over her shoulder. 

'What are you reading,' she asked him softly.

'Its bout adoption, and kids,' Daryl told her, 'Was trying to figure out how we tell Sophia we chose her but not the others,'

'We can't afford them all,' Carol told him, 'Doesn't mean we don't want them all,'

'Do we tell Sophia?' Daryl asked Carol what she thought, Carol shrugged, they needed to tell her, she wondered how the others would take it. Some of the others were being placed into families soon. They were slowly transitioning some kids, they would be dropping to 7 over the next few weeks. The twins were going to a family member they hadn't been in the home for that long. Toby and Bobbie had been there for a while. 

'Maybe we wait for a bit, I don't know, I don't want anyone to think we didn't want them,' Carol told him. 'we could long term place any who haven't been placed?'

'Dunno, I need to talk with Merle and figure some shit out,' he told her.

He pulled her to him, kissing the back of her neck again and wrapping his arms around her pulling her back into bed. They had 5 hours till they had to be on duty doing the school run. He rolled her onto her back kissing her some more, she wrapped her arms around him pulling him to her. Ready for round two. 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	19. Chapter 19

Someone had switched Sophia with a little monster and she'd been scratchy during the afternoon, wanting to be carried everywhere by Daryl and by the time tea time come around she was rolling around holding her tummy. Daryl had tried to sit her on the toilet. Merle and Andrea were off. The baby was crying for a bottle and Carol was running around trying to fix one, she managed to coax Carl into giving it to her and she went to check on Sophia and her tummy ache. 

 Daryl had her over his shoulder walking around the house with a damp rag on her head looking at the time on his watch. He had a thermometer in his hand and a worried look in his eye.

'She needs a doctor,' he told her. 'she's sweating and can barely walk,'

'Ok I'll ring, I'll ring Merle and Andrea back,' she told him, she found the numbers on the phone book to let them know they were bringing her to see the doctor, she rung Andrea's cell phone and they were back at the house quickly to help to take over while they took Sophia to the doctor. Carol couldn't help notice they were hastily put together, and she apologized for interrupting.

They grabbed their unoffical papers claiming that she was theirs and also the childrens home's papers just in case. Carol threw together bag with some things in it including her 'Baby,' Daryl had brought her to take with them to the hospital. Carol climbed in the back beside her in the car seat. Sophia was asleep before they hit the end of the drive and the 5 minute drive to town seemed to take forever.

Daryl carried her into the emergency room kicking himself that they hadn't brought her in sooner, but it all just started because she was scratchy. They didn't know if she was really sick or just had a tummy bug. They saw a nurse who took her temp and put a line in her hand. They knew she was sick when she didn't even seem bothered lying there with her dull eyes not even really taking in where she was.

The nurse took some blood and run it off to the lab, the doctor come to look at her pushing on her tummy, checking her everywhere, he rung through for the results of the primary  blood test. Daryl had climbed up on the  bed beside her while they waited for the doctor to let them know if anything had resulted. The nurse stopped back with the paper work.

'Your from the children's home?' she asked, Carol handed over her insurance card.

'We adopting her, its approved, we just waiting the paper work, we have the un official paper work plus her official paper work from the home,' Carol told her.

'Sorry we need someone from the home to sign for her,' the nurse stated.

'We are from the home, we are the official people to sign for her,' Carol pulled out all the paper work, she always knew it was a mess anytime they had an emergency with the kids with the paper trail who could sign for what.

'We need two people to sign from the home for her,' the nurse said.

'We are two people from the home who can sign for her,' Daryl was getting ansty, Carol flashed him a warning look, he bit his lip before he lashed out and told the nurse to read the damn paper work and look at their photo id's plus drivers licences. Another nurse come along to help the flustered nurse fill in the paper work for them to sign.

'When was the last time she ate?' the new nurse asked.

'I'm not sure, we come back on at lunch, she didn't eat lunch, maybe breakfast,' Carol told them

The doctor come back and had a wee chat with the nurses, they showed him the adoption forms and the forms from the home, then he spoke to Carol, Daryl was too busy trying to sooth Sophia who was crying rolling around in the bed. Carol was getting frustrated, Daryl was too frustrated with the nurse to even speak anymore and Sophia groaned rolling about on Daryl holding her tummy.

'Your daughter has a appendicitis, we need to take them out,' he told Carol, then went to explain how they would go about doing it, telling them it would be happening within the next half hour they were just getting a team together to go into surgery. Carol nodded trying to blink back her tears at the news. Daryl's eyes were flashing around everywhere. 

'The good news is, we do it via key hole now and she won't have more than a couple of tiny scars,' The doctor told Carol. They moved them quickly across the hospital, Carol and Daryl holding hands following the bed to where it all would be happening. Daryl managed to choke a few words out to ring Merle let the know what was happening. The rest of the kids were fine. They had had dinner and were in the process of putting them to bed.

The next half hour was a rush they signed forms, read forms. Signed and cuddled Sophia while they waited. They dressed her is a little blue gown with a split up the front. Carol told them she wanted them to put a pull up on her only  not anything invasive to stop her peeing on the table. Then they found themselves in scrubs holding their little Sophia as they put her out via her drip. They moved quickly putting heart monitors on her.

'You can give her a kiss if you like, I'm here for Sophia, keeping an eye on her for you,' a masked nurse told them. They gave her a quick kiss and a stroke of her hair leaving her little and small on the table trusting them to look after her. Carol made it to the corridor before she let her first tears fall, Daryl held her and tried to sooth her but truth be told he was as scared as her tonight.

 

 


	20. Chapter 20

Sophia was crying, it was all Carol could hear. Blood was running around her body and brain. They followed the nurse down to the recovery room, She could feel Daryl slowing her down because he was worried she was going to break off onto a run to get to her. She twisted her hand from him and did run past the nurse towards the noise. He couldn't stop her. 

He tried to remain calm when he followed the nurse into the recovery room, she was crying with her eyes shut, he could tell she didn't know what was going on or where she was. Carol was on the bed beside her cuddling her and stroking her hair. Making soothing noises. The noise seemed to be helping. She crying more and sniffing, Daryl come to the bed and stroked her head.

'She ok?' Daryl asked the nurse.

'Doctor will come soon talk to you,' the nurse told him. 'The meds makes them a bit tearful,'

They sat stroking her hair and she went from crying to sniffing off and on for the next ten minutes. Until the doctor come to talk to them. 

'Sophia doing fine, we managed to get in and out without causing much trouble,' he told them, 'She will be transferred to a ward soon as she's doing ok, you can stay with her overnight,'

Carol and Daryl listened while the doctor filled them in on all the medical terms of the surgery and how long it would take her to recover. Carol shut her eyes and cuddled Sophia until they were left alone again.

'You want to go home or should we both stay?' Daryl asked her, he seemed suddenly very tired and confused of what to do here.

'We stay, then tomorrow we take turns staying with her maybe so we can get some sleep,' Carol told him, he nodded. He was sitting on the chair on the other side of her bed, holding her hand and stroking it. Sophia was sound asleep again and seemed not to be in pain. She was attached to a drip and was still in her gown. Daryl moved his hand and lifted up the gown to see if they could see anything. Two little bandages were the only visible thing on her tummy and brown iodine.

'Damn, I was hoping for a massive scar so she would be too scared to walk round with her belly hanging out when she's a teen,' Daryl teased Carol.

'You were not,' She smiled at his dumb attempt of a joke. 'She's going to be a good girl, be in choir or something,'

'Hey the choir girls I used to know were the worst,' Daryl told her. 'Used to have access to the bit above the church, not innocent at all, ask Merle,'

'I can't believe we are having this conversation right now,' Carol looked at him, she moved a little, Sophia was getting sore holding her and she moved her slightly so she was on the mattress instead of only in her arms. Carol looked at Daryl as he tried to help her move her a little so they could move her a little. She wriggled off the bed being cast in the position with  Sophia.

'You sore?' he asked her, she rubbed at her neck, he stood up coming behind her to rub her neck for her. Then he wrapped his arms around her resting his chin on her shoulder while they watched Sophia sleep some more. Carol  moved slightly and Daryl moved with  her as she picked up her phone to text to the home to let them know Sophia was in recovery and they won't be home until the morning. 

An hour later they moved Sophia into a small private room, since it was late, tomorrow she probably would move to a ward with other little kids but tonight she had her own room with a bathroom. There was a chair that pulled out into a single bed. The nurse fixed up Sophia. Carol changed her pull up and wiped her down quickly, then they tucked her in. The nurse expected her to sleep for a long time recovering. They would be in every hour to check everything.

She still had a monitor tapped to her chest to keep an eye on  her stats  until tomorrow morning. The monitor was run through to the nurses station so they could view it from there. Then she said she would be on duty until 7am and she would be in and out until then.

Daryl pulled out the bed and looked at it, he put on the sheets they gave them, Carol went into the bathroom and when she come out he was still standing there looking at the bed. In the end Carol just pulled off her jeans and was thankful for her boyleg underwear and pulled off her bra through the sleeves of her shirt. putting them on the hard wood chair. Daryl kicked off his shoes and followed suit, it was unspoken but they were going to try and fit together on the bed. 

He lay down first, after tucking Sophia in and kissing her for the twentieth time since they were in the room. Carol also adjusted the blankets and kissed her and moved so she was tucked in the front of him on the small bed. Daryl reached down pulling  up a sheet over them both. Hiding them from nurses prying eyes as they would come in during the night. They hoped Sophia wouldn't wake until the morning.

Daryl looped his arm across Carol holding her close and he whispered in her ear, 'This is fine, just don't move for the next 8 hours and we are golden,' 

'I can't sleep this way,' she rolled on the spot bouncing as she turned to snuggle into his chest to sleep there. Daryl couldn't believe she slept straight away, while he sat listening to the beeps for a while. He kissed Carol on the forehead, and he heard the door open, he shut his eyes as two nurses crept in with a torch. He could tell the torch flicked across them.

'How cute are they,' he heard one whisper.

'Two cute for words,' the other replied, he could hear scratching and writing then they nurses crept out of the room, he yawned and went to sleep so he could actually function in the morning. 

 

 

 


	21. Chapter 21

Daryl opened his eyes and Carol was sound asleep almost on top of him. He could hear nurses whispering around the room. He moved his head towards the noise. They were fiddling with Sophia's drip, with tourches keeping the lights off but the high powered torch was easy to see.

'She ok?' Daryl asked them in the half dark.

'Oh, your awake,' one of them said, 'She's fine, just changing her drip, we didn't mean to wake you,'

'Carol's asleep, I'm a light sleeper,' Daryl told them. He had always been a light sleeper, waking at a foot step coming into  his room, he moved around in the bed a little to stretch his back a little before shutting his eyes again. He just dozed off when he heard a soft whimper from Sophia in the bed. He moved about shifting Carol and pulled on his jeans whispering to her he was coming.

By the time he climbed onto the bed beside her he could tell she really didn't know what was going on or where she was still. She snuggled into him more going off to sleep. He closed his eyes and leaned back with his eyes shut. They were going to be burning tired tomorrow, unless he actually fell to sleep and got a few hours. He moved so they were not tangled in  her drip and he could feel her soft breaths on his shoulder, she was burying herself into him and now was sleeping sound.

He shut his eyes and finally relaxed knowing she was in his arms asleep and Carol was asleep on the pull out couch. He was still there with Sophia in arms when the nurses come back in again. The light flashed across them both, both sleeping on top of the blankets. The nurses looked at each other and grinned. They worked quickly changing Sophia's drip and administrating more pain relief for Sophia through her line. 

They didn't move either of them, but took the time to look at them sound asleep before heading out to the hall whispering about how Sophia must be a Daddy's girl. They hadn't looked at her files to realize that Sophia was from the children's homes and in the process of being adopted. They were just swayed by the love both Carol and Daryl had shown to the little girl since she come into emergency that evening.

The next morning Carol woke before anyone else in the room the hum of the  hospital waking her a little, she looked around Daryl was missing and she saw him asleep with Sophia in his arms. She couldn't believe how cute they both looked. Carol went to use the toilet and come back out to check on them again. She folded up the bed and the noise alerted Daryl to the fact she was awake.

'Hey,' he mumbled from the bed, 'you ok?'

'Yes, she ok?' Carol asked.

'She's fine, she woke up a bit then I ....................... yeah I just cuddled  her,' he looked down seeing she was still asleep on him. They moved around a bit, Sophia woke up with tears and wanted to use the toilet. The nurses took care of her. Daryl left to go to the cafe to get them something to eat and the doctors come to do the ward rounds.

She was going to be there for a few more days just to recover and let them deal with her pain. Carol moved about washing her with a warm cloth talking to her softly. Daryl went out to call the home to make sure everything was ok. Merle told him they were just taking the older ones off to school and they would come in soon with Bobby and Judith to visit. 

Daryl took the time to head over to the different part of the hospital to check up on Rick Grimes who was still recovering in a different ward. Merle come in with the baby while Daryl was sitting talking to Rick quietly. Rick's eyes lit up seeing the baby and Merle tucked her in the bed beside him, to cuddle her a  little. By the time he come back Sophia was asleep and Andrea, Bobbie were waiting. Bobby had brought his baby doll and Sophia's baby doll with him to visit the hospital.

Daryl took a shower and changed into clothes they had brought over for him. Carol swapped with him when he come out so she could take a shower, Daryl was cuddling Bobby. Telling him about Sophia's operation and why she couldn't run around the room playing with him right now. Andrea had left Bobby while she went across to see Rick Grimes. Soon Sophia woke and they were able to get her focus on the tv that was hanging off the wall onto a childs cartoon to stop  her from wanting to move around. Bobby lay back on the bed watching with her both of them holding their babies watching the tv like it was the best thing in the entire world.


	22. Chapter 22

Two long day's later Daryl carried Sophia up the steps into the children's home, she was sound asleep and he moved through the large house going into their bedroom and tucking her into their bed. She was asleep the moment they turned the car out of the car park asleep in her car seat. He stepped back staring at her for a moment, he cracked his back a little. Neither he or Carol had had much sleep in the past two days.

Sophia had demanded their attention and wanted to leave the hospital and had been crying through the nights that the doctors finally relented to let them take her home if they brought her back tomorrow so she could have her injection sites checked.

'She still sleeping?' Carol come into the room dropping some of their bags, moving close to the bed wrapping her arms around him from behind. Her arms wrapped right around him, he moved his hands on top of hers rubbing her wedding rings, squeezing her fingers. He lifted his arm so she could move around beside him. He kissed the side of her face as she did.

'Still, what a little ratbag playing up till they sent her home,' Daryl was slightly amused by Sophia's attempts to make the nurses let her come home. She buzzed the buzzer to ask if she could go home anytime someone took their eyes off her. Asking them if she could go home because Bobby needed her, it was somewhat true Bobby had sobbed when Merle and Andrea took him home.

She had finally won the doctor over telling him she lived at the home and Bobby needed her. He looked at her notes, and at Daryl and Carol who both were unable to tame their beast of a child who was faking tears to go home. Daryl knew she just had enough of being poked and prodded by everyone, plus she had new toys to play with at home Bobby told her Merle had brought some new things.

'Hmmmmm we going to set up a cot in here?' Carol asked, he nodded she knew he wasn't going to stick her back in her room until she was better and recovered.

'Yes, I'll put it up, do you want to take a nap with her?' Daryl asked her, the bed did look tempting. They were the only ones home for a few hours. The others were at school and Merle and Andrea were out doing different things with Judith and Bobby. They had a few hours. They both used the toilet. Carol climbed in behind Sophia and Daryl climbed in behind Carol. Soon everyone was sound asleep.

Carol woke to someone stroking her face, she opened her eyes and saw Sophia was awake looking at her.

'Hey little girl, you ok?' Carol asked, she looked at her watch, it was time for some pain meds for Sophia, she gave Daryl a little kick with her foot. to wake him. 'Soph needs some pain killers,'

'Hmmm, k, how much,' he rolled off the bed, stretching and looking around like they would appear in the room. They were in a high cupboard in the kitchen and antibiotics were in the fridge, he come back with the bottles and measuring stuff for Carol to give it to her. Carol helped her to the toilet then they made her a bed on the couch so she could lie there and watch a movie while they waited for the rest to come home. 

Carol was busy in the kitchen making dinner, Daryl was trying to fill in some paperwork at the small table in the lounge so he could keep an eye on Sophia who had fallen back to sleep again when the other kids with Andrea and Merle come home from school. Bobby climbed up behind his friend who was still sleeping and put a big smile on his face.

'He's missed her,' Merle pointed to the two of them.

'Wanted to talk to you about that,' Daryl told him.

'Hang onto that thought, we have to go to a meeting at the high school about Carl Grimes at 4,' Merle told him.

'Why?' Daryl looked surprised about that the boy had settled in quickly when they kept him and Judith together.

'He got into a fight or something, they want to stand him down,' Merle told him.

'Great thats all we need,' Daryl mumbled. 'Your going?'

'And you,' Merle said, 'The might listen to the two of us together than if I go alone,'

'Ok let me take a shower,' Daryl told him, he stopped by the kitchen to tell Carol what was going on now. It was busy having all the kids to look after. They were pleased to have all four home again to deal with everything. Carol was surprised to hear that something happened with Carl. He really was a nice kid, she hoped it wasn't anything to serious. 


	23. Chapter 23

'Why are we going in to this meeting how about filling us in with what happened?' Merle looked through the rare view mirror at Carl who was sitting in the back seat. 

'They were picking on my friend,' Carl told him, 'Pushing him, hitting him so I hit them,'

'Did your friend start the fight?' Daryl looked over his shoulder at Carl.

'No they just bully him, pushed him down and he got a bleeding nose and run off to the toilet,' Carl looked out the window, 'So I punched them, I punched them all,'

'How many's all?' Merle asked.

Carl had come home roughed up and bruised knuckles, ripped shirt. They hadn't pressed him too much perferring to ask them more about it while they had him alone on the way to the school to find out what Carl's punishment was.

'So they pushed your friend?......................' Merle asked.

'Jimmy, he's been my friend since................ his Dad and my............. a long time, he's my friend and they were bullying him again so I fought them all,' Carl stared out the window. 'You can't say anything,'

'What about?' Daryl asked.

'About Jimmy being there, they want to .................. the school.................. he's on a warning a final one, he never causes any trouble.......... those boys............ they just pick on him and its not fair, get him into trouble,' Carl told them. 'His mum didn't want him to go to this high school, he only lives with his Dad now,'

Merle and Daryl glanced at each other. They didn't know too much about Carl everything with him had happened quickly with his sister and mother dying. They only had him with them for a short time and it wasn't long term it was hard to get to know the teen boy.  He kept his cards close not giving to much away for anyone to learn about him. 

'How many kids you fight Carl?' Daryl asked.

'4 or 5, I don't know, I lost,' Carl stare out the window, 'Can we make a stop?'

Merle looked at the clock they still had time, 'Where do you want to stop?'

'At Jimmy's its left here, he's going to be worried about me,' Carl gave them directions. Merle pulled up outside a house and Carl was out  of the truck before Merle managed to put the truck into park. The brothers looked at each other.

'What do you think?' Merle asked Daryl.

'I don't know yet, I don't think we know enough about it to make a judgement, he's covering for his friend, and they were being bullied,' Daryl looked out the window as the front door of the house opened and Carl's friend Jimmy stepped out of the house, 'I think there is your answer, look,'

'I knew he was a good kid,' Merle looked up the path at Carl talking to his friend and seemed to be looking back at the truck where he knew Daryl and Merle were looking at him. He knew he should have said what the fight was about, Jimmy had a black eye and Carl was walking back down the path. Daryl and Merle come out of the truck and greeted both the boys as they stopped by the truck.

'Jimmy thats Daryl, and Merle, I have to stay with them with Judith till Dad gets better,' Carl told him, Jimmy hugged Merle then Daryl.

'We didn't mean to fight,' Jimmy told them, Daryl nodded and Merle broke off to go talk to the man coming down the path. He introduced himself to Daryl and Merle as Jimmy's father, explaining he just found out what happened at school and would come with them if they thought it would help with Carl at school.

'No we have it sussed now,' Daryl told him, 'but we gotta go, Carl tell Jimmy you will see him at school tomorrow.'

Carl waved goodbye and Jimmy and his Dad went back inside the house. Merle told them they would ring them later to tell them how things went.

'What if they suspend me?' Carl asked.

'What if we ring a reporter tonight that the schools allowing ongoing bullying of a teen with Down Syndrome, that another student had to take matters into their own hands  with 5 boys to protect one?' Merle suggested.

'Really, but I punched them all,' Carl told them.

'Good,' Daryl told him, 'You should of told us about Jimmy, but you did good, real good,'

'I'm not supposed to fight?' Carl told him.

'No but sometimes you have to fight for what is right, next time, find a teacher or adult or............. we will work it out, don't worry,' Daryl told him, 'You did good though,'


	24. Chapter 24

Daryl glanced at his brother wondering  how long Merle was going to let them talk before launching on his own agenda. Merle had a way with high school principles and usually they come off second best coming up against the older wiser man who been there done that.

'So what your doing here is activitly encouraging the football team to bully special needs children?' Merle asked.

'What?' The principle looked at Merle, Daryl caught one of the other boys in the mediation room glaring at Carl, his face flamed as Daryl challenged  his stare.

'Theses boys were picking on another teen who couldn't defend himself against a group of............ lets see 6 boys who seem quite capable of taking care of themselves and your telling me you want to suspend Carl for fighting and theses boys walk because they can toss a football around?' Merle could see how things were.

6 members of the football team were sitting there with their parents and all they had in mind was not getting into trouble and playing football at the weekend.

'It doesn't matter because I've already suspended him for 3 days thats final,' the principle was getting rattled about being challenged, 'This is my school and I choose to suspend in my choice as I see fit,'

'That's great, cos that gives us more time to do the other thing with Carl, Right Merle,' Daryl stood up, pulling Carl up with him they were getting no where.

'Yes the thing,' Merle said not knowing what the thing was.

'What thing?' the principle asked.

'Oh we gotta meet with the other boy parent at the hospital, because his injuries............' Daryl left off.

'Are being documented by a doctor............' Merle finished.

'And then we have to go to the police station,'

'Because you know Carl's Dad's a cop............... and they're gonna wanna know,' Daryl started

'Why Carl's not at school,'

'So we will probably have to show him the photos,........................ oh Merle do you think the police will want to look through the camera's in the school to see other incidents of bullying being overlooked .................' Daryl looked around the room.

'Because................. football players................... I imagine that will make national news or something...........' Merle walked around shaking everyones hand followed by Daryl.

'Yeah, football players attack down syndrome teen, has a nice ring to it.............' Daryl nodded as he was speaking.

'Well its been lovely talking with you all, I imagine we will see you all in court or something..............' Merle nodded. 

They all looked ashen-ed, but Merle gave no fucks any more.

'Yeah they prob give Carl a key to the city or something...................... Good luck keeping  your job.................... ' Daryl shook the principles hand, 'Merle there's going to be an opening here soon, you have the qualifications to run a high school right?'

'I do indeeded, I must be off to gather my application together, ' 

'Come on Carl we gonna stop for ice cream on the way home,' Daryl pushed Carl out of the mediation room ahead of him. 'See you Friday,'

'We won't see you Friday, cos I imagine you will be stood down, boy's I would start getting your stories straight, you got to be good liar's if your going to lie,' Merle nodded again and pulled the door shut behind him.

Carl followed the two men down the hall not believing what just happened. They just lay down the law with everyone. He was prepared to plead his case but Merle and Daryl basically told the principle to go fuck himself.

'You guys were awesome,' Carl whispered following them out.

'Fuck him,' Merle told him, then put his hand to his mouth, 'You didn't hear that, don't ever let yourself be bullied, nor stand by watching someone else be bullied.'

'Come on, lets go home and you can help with your little sister, we can get dinner sorted,' Merle told him. 

They drove home all lost in their own wee worlds or thoughts. Carl couldn't help thinking he had three days off to think. Merle was wondering if he should actually put an application in for high school principle or not. It would mean giving up his job he had now. They would need to get him a replacement or something. Something to think about.

 

 

 


	25. Chapter 25

'So how'd it go?' Andrea asked the men as they come into the house.

'Went ok,' Merle told her, 'We might have threatened the principle with a police visit,'

Daryl scratched his head avoiding Carol's gaze a little.

'You might have what?' Carol asked Daryl.

'Merle might of ................. well, they suspended Carl for three days and put the other boys basically on the honor roll because they play football, soooooooooo...........' Daryl told her.

Merle put his head out the kitchen door and whistled for all the kids to come in the house and wash up for dinner. They come running from all over. The only two that didn't come running were Sophia and Bobby who were curled up watching a movie on the couch. Judith was sleeping in the bassinet in the kitchen and sleeping through all the noise.

'Is this going to backfire on us?' Andrea asked.

'I doubt it,' Daryl followed all the kids into the bathroom to help with washing of hands and some faces so they looked ok to sit at the table. Carol dished up for everyone and Merle went to get Sophia and Bobby to come into the kitchen to sit with everyone. He passed Sophia back off to Daryl who walked around with her on his hip helping everyone else get to their seats, they seemed to be down playing everything that happened at the school

Carol was wondering what had happened but busied herself pouring drinks to the kids and  serving up something for the adults to eat. 

Sophia still wasn't keen on eating much, drinking and nibbling from food off Daryl's plate. She had been pale all day and they had been keeping on top of all her pain meds, letting her sleep and offering her drinks, but so far she had been not keen to eat at all.

Carol checked her stitches a couple of times already today and they didn't seem red or too tender to touch. She seemed in good spirits with all the other kids coming home from school and checking in on her but she really was only happy with Daryl or Carol. Bobby was keeping her company now she was  home. Both the youngest members of the group home seemed at one together sitting watching their movie.

Everything had been full on, they didn't seem to have even caught a break yet with the kids settling down into some sort of routine they had really hit the ground with their feet running with everything about Sunflower house. Daryl watched across the table Carol eating dinner engaging in quiet conversation with everyone. She was so gentle with everyone around her. 

He was lucky to find her even though they got married as part of a sham that he did ............ love her.

She caught him watching her and she gave him a little wink, Sophia was nodding off on his knee. They still hadn't told anyone about adopting her yet. She looked from Sophia to him questioning if they should tell them now, he shook his head, he didn't know when would be the right time or not but it didn't seem right now until they had the Bobby situation sorted out.

'Did you make desert?' Daryl asked out loud.

'Vanilla pie,' Andrea told him.

He screwed up his face and looked disappointed.

'But your wife made you a special one, and subbed the vanilla for chocolate,' Andrea carried on.

'Right, sound great,' He encouraged the kids to eat up so they could all get hooked up for something special.

'She's joking, I didn't,' Carol told him, 'I don't have time to go making special meals unless your under 1 year old,'

'But.............. Sophia wanted it,' Daryl tried.

Carol looked at the sleeping child who  hadn't eaten anything for a few days, 'Tell  you what if Sophia wakes up and tells me she was a Chocolate pie, I will make her one, until then you get what everyone else is eating,'

Daryl knew she had him cornered about it, also he couldn't make a fuss because they were all about teaching the kids to eat well rounded and have a go at everything. But he had a craving for something chocolate. He was going to have to hit his own stash he had hidden in the bedroom. 

'Its been moved,' Carol teased him a little knowing what he was thinking.

'It better not have,' 

The kids were watching the exchange between them finishing up their dinner. Merle gathered up plates and Andrea handed out the vanilla pie and grinned like a idiot handing Daryl his knowing he was going to have to make a show of enjoying it. He took a mouthful and swallowed it down indicated to the kids it was good.

20 minutes later he had the kitchen door closed. Andrea and Merle were sorting out showers and p.j's and he had backed Carol up against the kitchen door so no one could come in.

'You think that's funny, vanilla tastes like shit,' 

'Its really funny,' She pulled him down for the kiss she had been waiting for since he shut the kitchen door.

'No chocolate, no kiss,'

'You won't last out on either,' Carol told him, she pulled out a small chocolate bar out of her pocket waving it about, she unwrapped in and put it in her mouth. Daryl ducked his head to steal the chocolate and a kiss.

 

 


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We are going to time jump a little to see if I can get my feels back here.
> 
> Hmmm this took an unexpected turn with a non normal couple..................

Merle made good on his threats and now had a brand spanking new job as principle of the high school, he was now working as part time at sunflower house which meant he still had somewhere to stay. He was working a 7-11 shift at night on paper but in reality he was hitting his bed around ten due to the fact most of the kids were asleep except Judith.

Rick Grimes was well enough to leave the hospital and didn't have anywhere to go. They all managed to work it so that he would begin to work part time at Sunflower house also. Basically he was going to be job sharing with Merle. Both Men were going to be sharing the cottage out the back. Andrea had a room inside the main house and they had managed to secure funding to pay a cook and cleaner to come help with the children. Merle had organized that with someone he used to know who was in-between jobs.

It seemed as quickly as children were finding homes they were having new ones arrive. They were taking all Carol and Daryl's time to settle them and make them feel safe. Little Sophia and Bobby were doing heaps better. Sophia was still recovering from her operation. Daryl had taken Merle aside to tell him they had adopted Sophia. Her papers had come and so had Bobby and Toby's permanent foster papers. The three of them were staying forever.

Eventually Judith and Carl would move out into the cottage with their dad. They didn't know how they were going to make it work with Merle also being out there. He had suggested a pull out couch for him to sleep on. Judith would be sleeping in with her Dad and Carl could have his own room. At the moment he was sharing with Toby. Andrea and Carol were taking nights about getting up to Judith. Dealing with such a tiny baby did have some big problems. 

Carol and Andrea were mucking around the house with Sophia and Bobby cleaning up the mornings mess, Daryl had headed out to collect Rick Grimes from the hospital. They still hadn't told them about Sophia, everything had been going so fast.

'So how do you feel about being a aunty?' Carol asked her as they were in one of the bedrooms.

'Wait what, how? Its too early for that right?'

'We adopted Sophia, Papers come yesterday,'

Andrea looked like Carol had just sworn at her, she tired to  wrap her head around it.

'They were going to separate her and we couldn't let her go, we got permanent placement foster care for Bobby and Toby,'

'You don't muck around,'

'I know, so be happy?' Carol looked worried about her lack of interest. 'What's up?'

'It's Merle, I thought there was something there but............... I don't know, he hasn't flirted with me or anything for over a week, I think he friend-zoned me,' Andrea finally blurted out.

'I thought  you two were ................ you know,'

'Nope, we come close to kissing a few times and he ................. '

'How do you know its friend-zoned, what does that even mean?' Carol couldn't really get her head around it, they had been flirting like mad, working together she thought they were doing it when they were over in the cottage and it come to a complete surprise when Andrea was telling her that it wasn't happening.

'It mean's he thought about it, thought he might wanna you know, get together and do ............. stuff............ now he put me over there on a little cushion and patted my head and said 'There there, Andrea, Just sit there,' now bet your arse he's off flirting with god know's who,'

They worked together, checking on the kids and tidying up before Daryl come back with Rick both of them lost in their own thoughts.

'Congratulations, though on Sophia, does she know?' 

'Not yet, we want to tell her but its hard with the other kids, I mean.............. they will think why didn't you pick us?'

'Maybe take her somewhere, why didn't you adopt Bobby too?' 

'Because, well we thought about it, the conditions that Bobby and Toby should go together meant we had more of a chance of them not going, Sophia was more likely to get placed somewhere before them. Plus they wanted to put them in another home, neither Bobby or Sophia would survive that, so we have the boy's now and Sophia is adopted, the boys in permanent placement with Daryl and I,'

'Take them somewhere and tell them, they will want to know, rather than be worried about what is going to happen next,'

There was a knock at the door, they knew it would be the new cook and house keeper. 

'Hi I'm Michonne, I've got all my stuff, hi,' she gave them a dazzling smile. 'So who's who? Carol? Andrea? Where are the boys, I haven't seen them for years, how is Merle?'

Carol and Andrea took a glance at each other, quickly realizing why Merle had friend-zoned Andrea when he knew this beauty was coming.

'Daryl is picking up Rick from the hospital, and Merle............... he's got a new job at the high school as principal,' Carol managed to say, she also wrapped her hand around Andrea wrist to stop her from punching Michonne or the wall, her whole body was tense. 'Come in, I'm Daryl's wife Carol,'

'Awe how nice, he finally met  a girl, I guess that makes us sisters, 'Michonne............. Michonne Dixon I'm Merle's wife, I mean I guess we haven't been together for a few years but its still legal,' Michonne hugged Carol, she was trying not to freak out. Andrea looked pissed and confused, ready to smack Merle down.

'Merle's wife?' Carol managed to ask.

'Yeah we got married to keep Daryl then............. I guess we never just got a divorce, we still get together now and again, but you know what I mean,' She winked, 'Those Dixon men are ................ '

"I think so,' Carol said, Andrea was gone, no doubt trying to pack her bags or something. 'Look there's Daryl now, go say hi while I check the kids,'

Carol left Michonne heading outside where she greeted Daryl with a hug and started to help him get Rick inside the house. Carol moved to go check on Andrea, she was going to kill Merle then throttle Daryl for keeping this secret.

 

 

 


	27. Chapter 27

Daryl come through the house looking for Carol, she grabbed the front of his shirt and dragged him into their bedroom, pushed him against the inside of their bedroom door and looked him in the eye.

'I didn't eat it,' Daryl blurted out.

'What? For god's sakes Daryl, would you stay out of the kitchen, its for us for supper,' Carol realized he'd found her secret stash of chocolate for supper.

'I didn't eat any of it, it was Merle,' he said straight faced.

'You didn't tell me Merle was married,' she hissed at him.

'Oh? Didn't I? Well........................ you never asked!' 

'You knew Andrea liked him and he was already  _married!_  How was I supposed to ask that question............................. Is Merle married to a beautiful women?' Carol whispered keeping her voice low.

'I don't know........................ it wasn't really important she's not really in the picture............ they see each other because of their son and I think they still fuck sometimes...........' Daryl put his hand over his mouth for being so crass with his mouth.

'They have a son?' Carol hissed at him, 'Your a Uncle?'

'Shit I suppose I should have told you that right? I mean................... geeze what else do  you want to know, I mean we only been together three weeks,' he tilted his head a little to kiss her, she still had him held up against the door and it was turning him on. 'I mean.................. Andre probably about 14 or 15 now, I haven't seen much of him but Merle goes about once a month,'

'Yes Daryl its important you tell me these's things, not .................... you didn't ask me if Merle was married,'

'Ok, I'm sorry ok, I didn't know, I should of said Merle got married over 15years ago and is still banging his ex every time he see's her and has a 15 year old kid, cos it was way high on my list of things to talk about, when we were................... getting married, and ................ having ......... sex, and adopting Sophia, and her having a appendix out,' Daryl took the moment with her with her mouth open because he was really being a cheeky little sod, 'I'ma sorry and I'm really sorry I said sorry for eating the chocolate when you didn't know I did it,'

'God Daryl you could confess to murder and make me ......................' Carol was flustered looking at the tiny grin on his lips. He had cute lips and he took the chance to snag  her lips with his and kissed her again.

'Forgive me? Cos I could do something to make you ................ really like me again?' 

'We can't, Andrea's upset and Michonne's just arrived, are we expecting another kid too?' Carol asked him.

'Probably, he's probably at high school giving his old man the run around,' Daryl had a little grin on his face.

'So  he can share with Carl, or do we put him in with his mother? What do we do here, move the kids around so people have their own space?'

'Put Andre in with Carl, Move Judith in with her old man, we calling him that?' 

Carol nodded.

'Sophia in with.................... can we put her with Bobby? I mean they are boy girl but they are 4 and 5?'

'I think that's fine, we have lots of bedrooms we just need to move things around is Michonne moving into the cottage or the house or what?' Carol asked him, he shrugged.

'Just don't put her with Andrea if things go the way it normally does with Merle and Michonne things will get awkward fast,'

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Across town at the high school things were busy for Merle. He was going through all the mis conduct forms realizing that the guys from the football team needed a bit of a shake up. They had been involved and given the all clear in many cases which in his mind would warrant suspension. Things were going to change around here really quickly, he'd called an assembly for 2 pm where he was going to go through many changes he would be implementing. He also called the football coach to his office and given him a bollocking.

The coach had tried to call foul when Merle told him that half his team was failing and unless they pulled their grades up they would be off the team and he should start looking for new players. Any misconduct at school which meant any of the team come through his office would mean a stand down of one game. No matter what the sport was, or even if they were in the debate team. It had to stop right now.

The football coach was a bully and it was understandable how he was turning out players who were in turn bullying the rest of the class mates. Merle wasn't easily intimidated in fact he had the all clear to give the school a big shake down, it was one of the worst preforming high schools in the state. They welcomed Merle Dixon with open arms when they saw his credentials and had learnt of another school he'd run for two years that was turning out stars and high achievers.

'Mr Dixon?' His secretary stuck  her head around the door. She was young and cheerful, went by the name of Tara and he'd already heard  her saying some things to other staff that would be inappropriate. But she was good at her job, finding information and names of students he wanted to see. Teachers names and old discipline records. 'Ummmm I had a new boy registrar for transfer this morning, I went to give him the permission forms for stuff and he said to give them to you?'

He held his hand out for the transfer forms for Andre, Tara handed them over and stood there while he signed all the forms for school. Tara watched him, saying nothing, he handed the forms back.

'He's ummmmmmmmmm yours?' 

'He's ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mine,' Merle told her, that's all he told her. She just nodded then headed back out to the office in front of hers. 

He moved out of his seat and began a walk around, moving around on his own, checking things out who was where. He started with the boys locker room wandering around checking stuff. Everyone was in class and he wandered around busting kids for making out at lockers and not in class. They were surprised to see him. He visited ever single classroom much to the horror of the teachers who were not on task or had their classes under control. 

In one class he went into the teacher wasn't even there. He sighed, the school was shit, the teachers were not even worried about showing up for class how were the kids even going to pass. 

'Right come with me, bring your books,' he told them, he begun a trek of the school picking up kids as he went by the time he hit the gym he had close to 80 teenagers following him including his son. Kids that didnt have a teacher teaching them, he indicated them all to sit down.

'I'm Merle Dixon, I am your substitute teacher, I am also your new school principal,' He bellowed, 'We are going to play a game, the person or person's still in it at the end will have .............. I'm going to bring you McDonald's for lunch tomorrow, with a sundee, Everyone stand up,'

Everyone stood up. Andre looked around his class mates pleased no one had figured out who he was.

'So the game starts like this, its yes or no, sit down for No, stand up for yes,' Merle told them. 'If your wrong your out, you come stand behind me, no one likes playing with cheaters ok,'

'First question, yes or no, to make green I mix together , red and yellow.............. yes or no?'

There was a rush to sit. No one was standing.

'There are 48 states in the USA. Yes or no?'

The kids were unsure they sat and some stood.  Merle became worried that the kids were not the brightest.

He had a few more rounds of general knowledge before the bell rang. He stopped them all from leaving. 

 

 'Any one who shows up for class and there is no teacher come find me. We can play,'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> oh no I got my grove back for this fic and my lappy crashed and actually melted. Been busy trying to down load apps to help me, if you notice any mistakes, I do a lot of my stories though voice, so we are still trying to get it sorted.

Merle walked down to the assembly he was holding in the hall grabbing kids that appeared to be escaping the building, in the end he stood at the end of the main entrance pointing in the general direction of the auditorium. Over all he though most of the kids were good kids but many of them hadn't been encouraged to do well and even take pride in themselves.  He headed to the assembly and stood at the front of them on stage.

'You all have ten minutes to text, tweet or get your friends back here, I've got the roll and intend on calling it out. Those on sports teams, groups or whatever you do, you will be stood down for a week of theses activities, get them here now,' Merle bellowed into the microphone.

Andre slunk down in his seat with his hand over his eyes wondering how long it was going to take for someone to notice his Dad was now running this ship and no one was getting away with anything.

Merle turned looking at the teachers. 'Same, text your fellow teachers those not here will be marked as unexplained absences,' 

Everyone was texting and getting people back, Merle took a moment to check his own messages, he had a few from Daryl saying Carol was never going to have sex with him again because Michonne was the new cook, one from Carol asking why he never said he was Married and one from Andrea saying 'Your a dick!' He scrolled through his messages and another one popped up.

_Please don't let on your my dad, I'll die of shame!_

 

 Merle looked up seeing his son sitting on the end of a isle looking at him. He was shaking his head as kids come flying into the auditorium from all over. Teachers and students alike. He gave Andre a wink and fiddled with his phone texting everyone back.

_I'll do a chicken dance!_

_Your dick isn't my problem_

_Didn't think to say anything_

_Nothing to say sorry about, nothing happened between us!_

He sent them out in that order and hoped that when he got home that Andrea was settled and Michonne was going to be friendly towards him. The more he thought about her the worse it got. Michonne was one he never could shake off. The reason why he'd never pushed for divorce. One of the reason's she'd never pushed for it either, once a month he went to see Andre and once a month he and Michonne scratched the itch they never could shake. He didn't need to explain that to anyone. Daryl, Carol or Andrea, he never promised them anything at all. 

He could see the jocks starting to filter in. He could see Jimmy sitting beside Carl, leaning forward a little like he was scared if he would get hit from behind or something. Merle thought stuff that as the football team started to fill up the top row.

'Late comers to the front now,' Merle called out through the mic, 'Run, your making me late, I don't like being late,'

They boys moved fast and filled up the front rows. 

'Roll call, if you hear your name you call yes, you stand up so I know who you are, then you sit down,' Merle called out, 'lets practice that right now, everyone stand, ok everyone sit, see how easy that is? Right this time we are going to stand and say 'Here Mr Dixon,' ...................' he made a sign for everyone to sit, 'Ok everyone stand,'

A chorus of 'Here Mr Dixon' come in a sing song voice.

'If you dick around and be stupid when I call your name you will be marked as absent and it could affect your time at school, so ready? Set? Go!'

Merle moved through the roll, it went fast. Kids were standing up and down quickly, Merle finished. He was only missing about 15 kids which could be anything from being sick to any other problems. He looked around the kids were quiet.

'So, many of you want to know why I am here?' Merle heard a murmur around the room, 'I'm here because some things have been happening, overlooked or not challenged, but let me tell you this............................ I don't care if your on the football team, debate team or you are the kid who collects rock's in the playground, if you're breaking the rules you will be punished. Not my problem if its the big rock meet or the football meet or whatever is happening for you that week you will be excluded for .............. not keeping your grades up, bullying, fighting, cheating, and whatever other thing I can think of that won't get you far in life if you're doing it and you're not supposed to be doing it you will be in my office,'

There was soft murmur going around the students.

'If you are failing your classes, you need to come see me, I'm going to run a homework program in the library after school until 4pm, I will also be here at 7.30am available to help with homework,' there was some chatter about this as students looked around, no one offered help for kids who needed it, 'If you want to learn, you will learn, I will personally help you,'

'There is no reason for anyone not to be passing, if you work and find it hard to do everything, come see me I will give you my lunch hour,' Merle looked around, 'There's no excuses any more, no I'm on the such and such team, or I couldn't do my homework because, I will tutor you personally, we are not victims here, we need to achieve to the best we can. No one ever fail from doing their best,'

There was a murmur and a hand raised, Merle pointed.

'You'll tutor anyone?' Come a female voice, Merle nodded.

'Anyone, doesn't matter who, if you want to learn, be there,............... your teachers will be in class to answer any questions, there will be no class unsupervised, if no one is there you come to the office and I will come to your class,' Merle told them, a few of the teachers looked at the ground. 'College's I will help you apply, lets turn this ship around and do our best,'

Merle nodded and walked off stage, he come back remembering 'Dismissed,'

Merle put his head on his desk when he come back to his office, it was pretty full on, he hoped he didn't have 800 kids take on his offer. He would have to call on Daryl to help get these kids through their exams. There was a knock on his door and he looked up,  called come in and one of the science teachers was standing there, Merle searched his brain for his name. Bob that was it.

'Ummm Mr Dixon?'

'Merle, call me Merle,' 

'I'll help, I mean.................. none of us want them in our class for another year right?' Bob half laughed about it. 

'Really?'

'There's some from English and Math's that will help too, lots of us have been trying but with ................ all our efforts being overturned makes it hard when things are being overlooked,' Bob looked like he wanted to say more, Merle gave him a nod to keep going, 'The football team having been passing classes all year, we been trying they been changing the grades they been getting in here I guess,'

'Ok, well lets do a few pop quizzes to see where everyone is at,' 

Bob headed off happy that something was being done, Tara knocked on his door and stuck her head around it, 'Someone to see you,'

She come in with the student, a pregnant girl who looked at him with big eyes, 'I'm failing everything, no one wanted to help me, except the science teacher, my folks kicked me out of home and I'm staying....................... I'm staying with my grandma but she's really really old and needs to be in a home, she's 85 on the pension, we are eating baked bean's and ...........................' the girls voice hitched.

Merle fiddled with his computor, 'What's your name?'

'Lizzie Samuels,'

'How old are you?' Merle asked wondering what he was getting into here, pregnant teenagers was more Daryl's thing, he knew everything about it, all about grants and help required. Merle knew more about teaching and this side of things.

'15,'

'You want to stay in school and keep the baby or adoption or ..................' Merle asked her about three questions in a row, 'lots of questions,'

'I don't know,'

'Have you seen a midwife? Doctor?' Merle got the feelings that nothing had been done for this girl, he suddenly wished that he had Daryl here, he knew the pregnant teen stuff inside and out who to contact. What to do. 'I'm going to call my brother,'

Merle made a few calls, rang Daryl, rang the Grandma who was happy to support Lizzie anyway possible to get her help. Help for the baby, she was getting old and didn't know if she would be much help for Lizzie and a baby. In the end the Grandma was going to accept any help possible. He sent Lizzie out to sit and do some work while they waited for social services to come. 

Lizzie sat down beside the new boy at school and Carl Grimes who both seemed to be waiting for Merle still. Lizzie ducked her head as they said hello. Merle stuck his head out to see who was left to see and saw the boys sitting there.

'Boys, come in,' Merle called them in, they both looked at each other wondering why they were going in together. Merle patted the backs of the chairs for them to sit, he leaned back onto his desk looking at them. 'What do you want?'

They both looked at each other. 

'Nothing, I just wanted to know is Dad home? I mean at the home?' Carl asked. Merle nodded and looked at Andre.

'I just wanted to know if you were going to embarrass me tomorrow?' Andre asked. Merle nodded.

'Look Daryl will be here soon, he's running late because he's caught up with something, you boys know each other?' Merle asked them they shook their heads, 'Andre, Carl. Andre my son, Carl probably going to be your roommate at the home for a bit,'

Both boys stared at each other. They both seemed to give a sigh, come on then lets go out and sit outside. They both headed outside and sat talking with Lizzie for a bit, an hour later Daryl come walking into the office, the school was pretty much empty. 

'Boys?' he said in a way of greeting them, 'Lizzie?' 

The girl nodded, 'well your all coming with me, Carol's going to take you to a midwife and a doctor if you need to at the hospital after,'

He walked to the office to talk to Merle.

'I've got Lizzie, she's being transferred to the home, also ..............' Daryl flashed him a grin, 'There is a bunch of women who're gonna boot your bum when you get home,'

Merle put his head on the desk and banged his head. He didn't care, he checked his phone and he had a sexy text from Michonne, it was game on when he got home. 

 

 

 

 

 


	29. Chapter 29

By the time Merle actually arrived home he didn't have a very good sense of humor and at least he wasn't rostered on duty he had a few days until he started his night shift. It didn't stop him from popping his head around doors to say good night to everyone. Bobby and Sophia were still awake talking to their dolls when Merle stuck his head in, he got tricked into reading another story. Gave them a good night hug and left them just about asleep.

 Carl, Lizzie and Andre were still up sitting watching tv, relaxing. He gave them a wave, Carol was sitting at the small table keeping an eye on things but also doing some list or another or maybe it was a cross word he couldn't tell. He walked in and embarrassed his son in front of the other two by pulling him to his feet and giving him a hug, planted a kiss on his head. 

'Missed ya,' he told him.

'Your so embarrassing,' Andre told him, he knew it was for show because he was still hugging his dad tight. Even not seeing each other for a long time they still had a good bond and Merle did put the effort in to text and ring him a lot. He gave the other two kiss a wave, they were both looking at Merle and Andre not quite believing he had a kid, and also now he was the principle at the school. Lizzie had red rimmed eyes, he didn't even go there, he just gave them a wave and left.

Merle headed into the kitchen. He saw a familiar butt sticking out of the fridge. He liked that arse and had full intention of getting his hands on it later if she let him. He half chuckled to himself, she never really turned him down. Not when they hadn't seen each other for a while. He just needed to get his mouth on that face.

'Hey nice arse!' he walked in and put his hands on it, cupping it while she was bent over.

Michonne popped her head out from the fridge, 'Hi yourself,' she lent over giving him a brief peck on the lips and stepped back to look at him, 'Hey thanks for sending me into a hostile environment, I have a sister inlaw?'

'Give me some more sugar?' 

Merle advanced on her and pulled her to him planting his mouth on hers again, he pulled her butt closer to him. She gave him a kiss that nearly knocked his socks off, 'Geeze, girl,'

'Don't you even try that Dixon charm on me,' she looked him up and down, 'Standing there in a suit and tie looking all hot and sexy like that, your gonna give a girl a heart attack,'

Michonne tried to push him away a little to look at his face, too late she was sucked back in to his good looks and charm. He gave her a hopeful grin hoping he would win her over a little that she might take pity on him and come over to spend the night with him. They were married after all. He hadn't really been with anyone else but her in years. He kept going back like a dog to his master. He was her puppet.

She told him ages ago to go that he was no good for them. They married too young had Andre too young, looking after Daryl and everything they just drifted apart. Merle still had a lot to do with his son but they had never been in the same town for ages, being in the same job, things might take a turn for the better for them. He had thought about trying it on with Andrea but when Michonne rung him to say she lost her job he had originally offered them to come stay with him in the cottage and he would support them until she found something else. 

Daryl had found money in the budget to pay a cook/cleaner and board he offered her the job without telling anyone except telling Daryl he found someone. Daryl would have growled if he knew, because Michonne was a flight risk at the best of times when things got to hard with Merle. They clashed and bounced off each other but they still had deep love. Sex was fiery hot. Most of all they got each other, didn't get jealous if they were apart or back together. She didn't pine for him while he was away but loved him deeply when he was back.

'You like the suit and tie?' Merle asked, towing her with him and his plate of food out the back of the kitchen door, 'Are you off duty?'

'Yeah, let me go say night to Andre,' She leaned in to kiss him. He put his plate down and followed her out to say goodnight to everyone. Andre didn't look phased to see his Mum and Dad standing saying they were off for the night.

'Rick's staying in the house for a few nights, then he's going to stay in the cottage,' Carol looked up at Merle from what he was doing, 'Daryl's about somewhere,'

'Ok, Rick got Judith with him?'

'Yeah but I'm going to do the feeds and stuff, Andrea's in her room and these three are going to bed in an hour,' Carol told him, Daryl come in via the kitchen giving his brother a nod. He was holding something in his mouth, they were all looking at him, he was trying to swallow something but couldn't do it in a hurry.

'Daryl, that better not be the baking for school tomorrow,' Michonne scolded him, he was trying to shake his head and say no, he just turned to go back to the kitchen to get a drink to swallow it down. 'Daryl Dixon you get back here right now!'

Daryl come back slowly with his head down.

'Open it and show me,' Michonne told him, he shook his head and made a move disappearing out the front door with a evil laugh, 'You can't hide anything from that one,' she told Carol, Carol just shook her head not wanting to know what he had eaten now that he wasn't supposed to. He was worse than the kids, she got up to follow him to check he wasn't choking on the thing he was trying to swallow down.

'You ok?' she asked him he was leaning up against the side of the house, with his arm up against the wall. He was chewing something and appeared to have something in his hand. More of Michonne's baking, she was going to get him when she found out.

'Wanna share?' he hinted a little, thinking sharing it would get her in trouble too. He held out a cookie that he had been hiding from everyone, she looked at it and at her husband, she was starting to worry he was going to end in hospital with problems before he was much older. 

'Ummmmm and have Michonne mad at me as well as you, no thanks, I don't think she likes me much,'

'She likes everyone, I mean she likes Merle so she gotta like most people,' Daryl told her, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, he tried to get her to bite the cookie, he held it up to her mouth, 'Come on I know you want to,'

Carol took a bite anyway, despite her protests, 'its good, come on you and me are on duty and Merle is off tonight, Andrea is off and Michonne is off clock since 7.30pm,'

'We going to go to bed, I got something for you,' Daryl rubbed himself up against her. Wrapping his arms around her wanting her to stay with him for a while. 

'Yeah, I'm going to leave the pregnant girl with Carl and your nephew awake,' Carol put her hand behind her as she walked rubbing across the front of his pants, 'But if you still want to at midnight I'm all yours for about the 15 minutes it takes me to fall asleep,'

'Lucky me,'

 Carol had not long gotten home with her from the hospital, and regardless of her care so far Lizzie wasn't doing so badly. 6 months along, she had to put some weight on and everything would go ok they hoped. Carol had all the forms to keep Lizzie in their care until she was 18. They also started to ask questions on what she wanted to do when she had the baby. Lizzie didn't know she really hadn't thought about it. They had time, all they had to do at the moment is make sure she knew she had a voice and a choice. They would support her, and find a way to keep supporting her once she turned 18.

Merle and Michonne headed out through the kitchen. Daryl planted himself in the lounge checking everyone had done their homework and the next thing was going to be checking everyone was on topic and looking over any issues with stuff. Lizzie was having a pile of problems with school, she sat at the little table telling him she was failing with everything. All her topics. Daryl sighed, it wasn't anything he could turn around overnight.

'Ok, we will make a meeting, with the school, with Merle and the teachers, sort it out,' Daryl told her, 'I'm going to make sure you pass everything, we can turn this around if you put in the work we can help. You got the principle here,'

'I need ................ I asked the teacher, and she said ....................... she said I just needed to pass diaper changing cos I was never gonna be no one,' Lizzie looked at him, 'I'm not................. I just ................. the letters, they are everywhere,'

'Everywhere?'

'All over the page,' Lizzie pointed, 'See,'

Daryl looked at the straight line, 'Read it to me?'

'No,' she whispered to him.

'Lizzie, can you read?' Daryl asked her.

'A little, but its hard, I mean,..................... if I put,' Lizzie grabbed a bit of paper and put it under her work, 'Like this its easier,'

'Ok, lets just forget it tonight, tomorrow we will go see someone get this sorted, but you have to do what they ask, then we can get you help you need ok,' 

'Ok, can I go to bed now?' 

'Sure,'

'I'm hungry,' Lizzie said, there were two male voices that said 'me too,' Daryl sighed and took them through to the kitchen and let them make sandwiches to eat and hot chocolate to drink. He looked over to the cottage and hoped his brother was having a better night than him.

 

 


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ok I have to admit writing this between Merle and Michonne freaked me out a little, I have never really written either of them. 
> 
> Bella_Monoxide and SuperDeadYaz for you ladies. Hope its smokes you both.

'Follow me Mr Dixon, I've been a very bad girl,' Michonne pulled Merle into the cottage by his tie, locking the door behind them. 

'Wait, wait I have to turn the intercom on just in case,' Merle reached out behind him to put the connection between the house and the cottage, so if they needed him they could push the button to talk to them. He really hoped no one rung them or text them or anything happened. He didn't even want to know if a space ship landed.

Michonne was busy undoing his tie, making it loose and putting it over her own head, she was making short work on the buttons on his crisp white shirt, pulling it out of his suit pants. Merle toed his shoes off as Michonne was walking backwards, he left them where they fell on the lounge floor. He was following Michonne where ever she wanted to go or what ever she wanted to do. He didn't care. He had his eyes drilled on hers, they were locked and they both wanted sex and they wanted it now.

 He was struggling to get his suit jacket off and shirt. She was pushing it off his broad shoulders and she went straight for his neck kissing him there, smelling the aftershave that still lingered from the morning. She threw his jacket off on the couch, the shirt followed it. He was pulling her shirt out from her pants. He groaned as she bit him through his white singlet on his shoulder.

'Shit,' he mumbled. 

She lifted her arms so he could remove her shirt and he hooked her bra at the same time removing them both with the same swift movement. His tie was still hanging around her neck trailing down between her breasts she looked as sexy as hell in his mind, all he could think of was being inside her. It been about 6 weeks since he had seen her.

 His eyes feasted on her breasts, her nipples were hard and waiting for him to spend attention to them, he bent his head and latched onto one. She held his head against her breast, her hands going down his back pulling his singlet out of his pants and trying to pull it off over his head. He let go of her nipple long enough for her to pull it right over his head, she tossed it to the side, walking backwards she toed off her own shoes. He unbuttoned her jeans she was wearing, they pooled down her hips. He made the mistake of glancing down seeing the tops of white lace panties that were almost mocking him. 

His arms went right around her back and he pulled her roughly to his now bare chest, they worked on each others pants getting them off. His boxers were gone, he didn't even remember where he kicked them off, he was free, she had her hand gripped around him stroking him. He dipped his hand into her panties finding her soaking wet, kissing her he backed her into the wall. Using his strength pick up one of her legs over his hip, tugged those white lacy panties aside a drove himself into her.

'Fuck,' he groaned.

He picked up her other leg, she wrapped herself around him balanced in his arms and on his dick, he moved away from the wall.  He was attacking her mouth backing her up until they crashed through the bathroom door, he was aiming for the bedroom but the bathroom would do. Stopping only when they hit the sink. He lifted her up slightly so she was sitting on it, he could see their reflection in the mirror. Her beautiful brown skin against his pale skin, she was so hot in his eyes he nearly couldn't wait to come. He also couldn't keep his eyes off their reflection, her tossing her head back letting her beautiful neck be exposed to him, he took the invitation and licked his way up it to her ear.

'Go on I know you want to,' she whispered in his ear.

She was just in her white lacy panties still he was moving inside her at the bathroom sink, he picked her up in his strong arms moving around crashing into things with her bottles of shampoo and moisturizers went crashing to the floor as his mouth didn't leave hers as he held her in one arm while trying to turn the shower on with the other. Michonne glanced over his should into the mirror looking at her self, and his back view, tattoos littered his back over his muscles. She couldn't help herself when she saw him he was everything to her, she hadn't stopped loving him even when they separated, she agreed but really she never wanted him to go.

Merle was like a caged bird, cage him he would be desperate to go, let him go he kept coming back to the honey pot. Always she would love him, she'd never been with anyone else but him, she never told him. She implied there had been others over the years, she was sure he had been with others while away but she did love always. He text her late into the night sometimes or the odd phone call when he'd been on duty at a children's home at 3 in the morning. The phone sex, the sexy photos they sent each other. She had more photos of Merle's hard dick saved in a hidden folder on her phone than she cared to admit.

His mouth on her neck as he carried her into the too small shower, her legs still wrapped around him. Pushing her back against the wall letting one of her feet drop, holding onto one of her thighs and kissing her like she needed it to stay alive and up right. It was hard and rough what they both needed, to scratch that itch that was desperate to be scratched. Kissing and touching each other like they were dying of thirst and the other was a long drink of water.

She cupped his arse pulling him harder into her, he hadn't pulled the shower door shut, they both glanced over at the mirror watching each other fucking. Michonne watched him in the mirror, watched herself as he kissed her neck, then watched herself come hard as his fingers found her clit and rubbed her there the way she like it and made her half hang over his shoulder watching him relentless in his movements, watching him enjoy it the half smile on his face as her orgasm milked him. Watched when he came.

Merle was a man of so many words when it come to love making but he could make her come in her panties just by giving her a sexy Dixon grin, a little quirk of his mouth.

'Fuck,' He grunted as he pulled out coming all over her stomach. He run his finger through it and pulled her to him again kissing her, letting her leg down and helping her get her balance. 'That was.........................

'Yeah,' Was all Michonne could get out, she wanted to blurt out 'I still love you' but she didn't dare he would have her out of there before she knew what was going on. 

They took their time washing each other, enjoying being in such a small space together before stepping out,  Merle was on his knees before her running his tongue around her clit, licking her from her clit to her arse, he was driving her wild, he knew her and what she liked. He wasn't afraid to get down and nasty. He was using his tongue and his fingers in both her holes to make her come again, her head was lolling back against the shower wall as she rubbed her own nipples watching her husband working her over. 

She knew she was going to be sore by the time he was finished Merle Dixon wasn't the type of guy to fuck you once during the night, once he got started it was like he was on pussy acid and he was addicted to the taste and to the feel of rock hard nipples in his mouth. He lapped her up as she came on his tongue, working his way back up to her nipples and then her neck and finally her mouth. He was smiling like he had just won the race in the pussy challenge, she kissed him hard on the mouth, he was being gentle and loving kissing, holding her.

The water was cool now they had run their water cold. They wrapped towels and raided the fridge. Merle put the tv on, wandering around to rock music. He watched her moving about getting ready for bed. He ducked into Daryl's old room going through the drawers knowing there would be condoms and lube and god knows what else in there from when they stayed over here for their honey moon, he grabbed some shit and took it through to the bedroom.

'I got a thing,' she told him seeing the gear in his hand, 'You won't get me pregnant,.................... again,'

He'd be so careful since they accidentally gotten pregnant with Andre all those years ago. 

'What kinda thing?' he asked her he was surprised.

'A thing, up there, its permanent I got it two years ago,' She looked away from him blushing a little, but she didn't want to be running around with condoms any more.

'but STD's and we should get ourselves checked out,'

'Why? I've only slept with one guy,' Michonne laid it out, ' I wanna ..........................' she flashed her brown eyes at him, he seemed to be clueless at what she was trying to say. 

Merle looked at her for a long time before, 'Really?' He didn't know, he thought she had, she implied there were others. He could see now it was just her covering, he could see it flashing in her eyes as she gave him that look.

'If you want to?'

'What if...............................'

'What if?' Michonne looked at him, they both turned at looked at the tv, Bon Jovi 'Always' come across the rock mix. He moved slowly not knowing if their favourite song to make love too coming across the rock channel was a sign or  not but he was taking it as a sign, she was moving towards him, she unwrapped her towel and showed him she was offering him everything. 'All or nothing................... no more quick fucks,'

Merle stopped and stilled staring at her for a moment side stepped around her and walked into the bedroom. Michonne pulled her towel back around herself and was looking frantically around the floor for some clothes to put back on herself. She was so embarrassed and couldn't believe he just walked away from her. She had tears rolling down her face because he walked away. She felt a hand on her shoulder, she had tears rolling down her face when she turned. He wiped them away and put something in her hand. It was their wedding bands. Both of them, he pulled her hand to him and slipped it on her left hand. He gave her his to claim him back.

 

 

 


	31. Chapter 31

'What do you think they are doing?' Carol pulled back the curtain's in their bedroom looking across to the cottage. She couldn't help it she had been staring across at the cottage for a little while now. She wanted to go across and see what was really going on. She couldn't help it, she really never been so nosy before but something about someone as stunning as Michonne could be with someone like Merle. She didn't know how he managed to pull women.

'Having sex,' Daryl walked across to the bathroom, 'Like we should be,'

'Really? Like he just come home would she do it just like that?' She glanced behind her looking at him, he was prowling around the room, kicking off his shoes and straightening up bits and pieces they had lying around. He come across close to her. Carol glanced over him again under her lashes at him.

'Hmmmmm hhmmmmmmmmmmm,' Daryl mumbled walking across and putting his hands on her hips tugging her back onto him. She could feel his hard length of him down her back, he rubbed himself up against her back. He leaned in kissing her neck, biting a little against her neck. Carol tilted her neck to the side again so he could have better access. Carol still was watching out the window at the cottage. Carol put her hands behind her fiddling with the buttons on his pants, she didn't have a hope of trying to get them undone but she had fun running her hands slightly against him, feeling him stiffen up behind her.

'She would just sleep with him even though she hadn't seen him in ages,' Carol was slightly interested in how this relationship actually even worked.

'Carol, I just passed over to Andrea we have 6 hours until we have to be up again,' He run his hands down her front passed her nipples, he kissed her neck again, 'Come on, we got time to ..........'

'But........... I want to make sure everyone is ok, he almost implied he was interested in Andrea,' Carol turned in his arms looking at him. He wrapped his arms around her looking down at her with a half amused look on his face. Carol was being really nosy, it was like having her own romance novel unfold right in front of her. Carol never had so many love stories around her at one time.

'So because Merle not interested in Andrea anymore I'm not getting any?' Daryl took a breath, 'Look he always loved Michonne, but he was never gonna do a long term thing with Andrea, if he did he would have moved on, its always been Michonne,'

'Fine, we need to get Andrea a date or something,'

'We need to just leave everyone alone, and you need to come shower with me, right now,' Daryl started walking backwards towards the bathroom, dragging her back into the bathroom. He held her to him as he fiddled with the shower and when he had the temperature right he let her go for a bit. She didn't move at all his hands went to her pants to undo her buttons on her jeans, he moved quickly to get her out of her clothes.

Carol leaned in to kiss him a little, she pulled his shirt out of his pants and pulled it up over his head. She tossed it to the ground and run her hands down his chest to his jeans and unbuttoned them quick, trying to get her pants off at the same time. Daryl moaned into her mouth.

'You take off yours I'll take off mine,' Daryl groaned into her mouth.

They both were naked quickly and moving quickly under the water. His hair was soaking wet as was her's, he pinned her arms above her head and dipped his head down to grab one of her nipples in his mouth. He'd been thinking about her all day and with what was going on with all the kids it had been hard to get one on one with each other, Carol was still learning about sex and they were newly weds.

She moaned a little trying to move her arms so she could touch him. He held her fast keeping her hands away while teasing her with his mouth, she wasn't used to it and as he moved his mouth up to her neck he let her hands go. They slid down the wall and around to his back pulling him closer to her. She took the shower gel to help him wash and he was keen to wash between her legs, he  really really wanted to lift her and drive her onto him but they still were using condoms because they hadn't had time to go to the doctors. Water wouldn't work. He set to work washing her down as she washed him with long slow strokes until he turned her against the wall grabbed the shower hose and sprayed the gel off her. He couldn't cope with her touching him like that he was getting too far gone not to want to drive home.

He flipped the shower off and leaned into her, he still had her against the shower wall. 'Come on,' his voice was low as they stepped out and tried to dry themselves the best they could, she was walking backwards kissing him as he was reaching for their night stand to find something to cover himself with, he rolled the condom on, standing he  turned her bending her over, nudging her legs apart, reaching between her legs, she was soaked. He played with her, kissing her neck a little while he felt her try and move up and down on his had.

When he could hear her whining for him he pushed slowly into her, she moaned loudly as he entered her from a new angle. He began to move slowly reaching around cupping her breasts as they bounced a little, 'This ok?'

'Hmmmmm yeah............... god yes!'

He moved quicker now that she was bracing herself on their dresser, it was their first time they tried anything out of the bed, she seemed to be enjoying it, he had to remember not to scare her with too many new things too quickly. She moaned again and he could feel her getting wetter, his slide was quicker, his hand moved from her breast to her clit to rub her to help her along. He was nearly ready to go and he wanted her to finish before him.

'Daryl............... I think............ I'm............' Carol came hard pushing herself back onto him. He reached past her gripping the dresser and kept going pumping into her for a couple more strokes as her orgasm pulled him over the edge, he rubbed her clit a few more times and she moaned wriggled under his fingers.

'Oh my god,' he slid out of her and picked up a towel to wipe her, she was almost dripping, he rolled off his condom and tossed it into the bin. He stood her up again putting his hand between her legs, 'Someone liked that?' he teased her.

'God,' she was shaky, he pushed here back onto the bed and went to his knees, running his hands up her thighs. She was still soaked and he wanted to taste her, he'd tired another time she wouldn't let him, he was hoping she was too shaking this time to register it was his tongue trailing around her swollen clit and down her slit, drinking her juices as they were still dripping out from her.

'Daryl, what are you doing,' Carol whispered in embarrassed panic.

'Shush, its ok,' he whispered as he dipped his head again.

 

 


	32. Chapter 32

Daryl wanted to be anywhere else in the world, it was awkward as hell as he tired to help the children through the breakfast and he was getting figity trying to casually look through the cupboards to find something that might perk his interest to eat. He'd eaten at 6 and it was never to early to start looking for something sweet to eat. He could feel Carol's eyes on him as he slipped a jar of Nutella into his jacket pocket with a spoon. No one else noticed but she had her eyes on him. He moved fast though the hall to their bedroom and had a spoonful in his mouth before she showed up behind him holding her hand out for the jar. 

He stood on the bed a little bit higher than her and and double dipped his spoon so she wouldn't take it off him. She shook her head and couldn't believe he was like a child almost with a spoon and nutella eating from the jar. She looked at him like she hoped he choked on it a little. She didn't blame him, she noticed his demeanor this morning as he hunted for chocolate in their bedroom. She didn't have the heart to tell him he'd finished it already. She only been with him a short amount of time and he never been without chocolate a day since they been together.

'Daryl, you can't eat the toast spread,' Carol told him.

'I can, I am,' Daryl half chuckled, he was hoping from foot to foot looking at her. He ate some more and she stared at him more and more. 

'You have a problem,'

'I can stop whenever I want too,'

'You can't your addicted, its getting worse,' Carol didn't know how bad it was but he was pretty bad, it was like a coffee addiction or something. She didn't know if he could stop or go without. He probably never thought about it. As it was he wasn't putting the jar down and was almost jumping on the bed to keep her from taking the chocolate from him, maybe they just needed to hide a supply for him. She didn't know why he didn't have a big supply anyway. It was going to be a long day the day he gave up chocolate.

'When your done we need to get the kids too school,'

Rick was having a go at looking after Judith for the morning with the help of Carol, Michonne and Andrea. All the women had formed some sort of line in the sand and were trying to become somewhat friends. When Daryl come back to the kitchen he picked up Bobbie to give him a cuddle and looked around the women in his life wondering if he should move out of the way but they all seemed to be doing ok, talking and smiling at each other. They were putting up a nice front in front of the children because they didn't want all the kids to know if they were arguing or fighting with each other or something.

Carol felt she was in the middle between her sister and her sister inlaw.  Merle hadn't even ducked his head in the main house heading off too the school first thing in the morning. Daryl didn't blame him really. He didn't want to be here. He was just pleased he didn't sleep with Andrea or anything. Michonne was his one true love and Michonne was a kind women. She hugged the children freely and didn't tire or get frustrated if they were trying to help or move things that she was doing.

He didn't know enough about women and to be honest he didn't want to get involved because he didn't want Carol to get mad at him and he didn't want Michonne to stop baking cookies. Two of his favourite things in the world. He just wanted them all to be happy.  The kids were sitting around eating breakfast and slowly they were getting ready for school. Carol was getting Sophia ready soon and soon they would be going to visit school because she was going to start soon, she needed to go in and fill out the forms and get her sorted for starting.

Daryl was conflicted he wanted to go with them to school for Sophia, it was a big day for them to sign little Sophia up for school, they were going to delay it a little while longer a month or more to try settle her more and more. She was still getting over her opperation but they had to pick up the paper work and go look at the class. They also wanted the school to be aware that Sophia could have some special needs when starting, being bumped from home to home made it hard for her to trust and Carol wanted to do a lot of school visits before starting her. 

Daryl had to take the rest to the high school and go to the meeting set ups for Lizzie. Andrea and Michonne were going to watch Bobbie and keep an eye on Rick who was watching Judith. They were surprised he had taken so good to looking after the little girl because it was clear to everyone that she wasn't his daughter but he loved her. They could tell by the way he held and cuddled the baby.

He was exhausted though, the baby was tired and by the time Daryl left with the high school kids, Carol had the primary school kids, Rick was tucked up in bed by Andrea along with Baby Judith in the little bed by his side.

'I should leave the door open?' She asked Michonne.

'Yeah, I would, keep an eye on him, its his first day home right?' Michonne asked.

Together they worked at making the beds and tiding up after breakfast. Andrea took Bobbie with her to go to the supermarket. Then to the park. The little boy was blossoming under the constant care from everyone. He thrived on attention, he tried his best to learn some of the skills he had been lacking. They were all proud of him. He was a little ray of sunshine within the group. 

Andrea pushed him on the swing at the park talking to some of the other mums who were about. She never said they were from the home. She never did. The one time she did mention it to some one she was asked 20 questions or more about why the child was in a home and how bad the child was. She never said she was Bobby's mother and she never said she wasn't. Carol and Daryl were his legal guardians as they were in long term care with them not her. She was starting to struggle with the kids and why their parents didn't want them. She loved  making a change in the kids life. She knew just doing little things with Bobby it would build his confidence and long term it would help him become the little person he was supposed to be.

At the high school Daryl was getting frustrated. He was in a meeting with Merle and with a few of Lizzies teachers. They were all stone walling him, Merle was about ready to lose his mind. The teachers appeared to be there collecting their pay checks while the children suffered. Lizzie required special help. In the end they were going around in circles. Daryl looked at his brother waiting to see what he was going to do and how he was going to handle it. He hadn't had much of a chance to talk to him about Lizzies learning difficulties but Merle quickly was on board about bringing in someone to work with Lizzie to help her.

The teachers looked shocked about it and questioned if teaching her was in the schools best interest because she was pregnant and was not going to be coming back to the school because she would be at home raising a child. Daryl looked at them telling them it was not their choice to deny Lizzie an education and if he had to come to the school every day and sit in class with her to help he would. Merle suggested that they also could possibly look at a half day option for Lizzie with Daryl tutoring her in the small teaching room off the office to help her pass.

 Daryl put his hands up, 'I can do two hours a day with a group of kids, I'll give you that,' 

It was quickly put into motion that Daryl would come into school and help the kids that needed to move forward he would. It was part of his job to tutor the kids at home, doing it at school was a better option with less distraction's if it got too big they would give him a class room to tutor in. Work with the teens who needed it.


	33. Chapter 33

Rick was trying to change a tiny baby on the change mat, he had to admit defeat to Andrea and needed her to step in and do it. His hands were shaking and he was tired. It was moving onto 7pm and it had been a long long day with the kids and with the adults. He watched as her quick hands moved his baby about changing her diaper and giving her a wipe down with a wipe. She did the domes up on her little sleep suit and picked her up giving her a kiss and cuddle.

'Your good at that,' Rick said quietly.

'Lots of practice, babies are calm if you are calm, it was Carol and Carl who got her though the first night with getting her to take the bottle, now she thinks her throat has been cut off if she doesn't get one,' Andrea pressed another kiss on her head and looked at Rick, 'Sit down you can feed her, I'll just go get her milk,'

Rick sat on the rocker chair, Andrea passed him the pillow to help hold Judith in place. It was clear Rick was still in a lot of pain and wasn't taking his pain meds like he should to help. He said they made him sleepy and he didn't want to miss a minute with Judith. Andrea passed him the baby and he rocked with her moving the chair with his feet. Andrea left to go make up the bottle and bring back Rick's pain meds and make him take them so everyone got a good sleep. 

Everyone was a little stressed. Andrea and Michonne had found common ground caring for Rick Grimes and little Judith supporting his need to want to do everything for her himself. They quickly found they liked each other and they both liked Carol. They all had sat around the kitchen table drinking coffee in one quiet spot talking when Daryl come home and took the two little ones outside to help him do some odd jobs. They were amazed to hear she married Merle originally to save Daryl from staying in a bad home. Therefor Daryl got out of the system a lot sooner than he should of. She said she always loved Merle. Andrea found it hard to be annoyed with Michonne and found she actually admired her more for what she did.

Carol had asked about Daryl's chocolate addiction, she kinda blamed herself because he wouldn't do as he was told and got into a lot of trouble at school so anytime he was good and didn't get into trouble they fed him chocolate. She looked at them, and just said 'Hey we were only 18, what did we know about parenting a 12 year old wayward kid, so we bribed him with chocolate to do anything, take a shower, wash his hair, flush the toilet, you name it we bribed him, he didn't turn out too bad,' all the women laughed then laughed as Daryl come back in and slyly hunted through the cupboard looking for something. They all knew what he was looking for.

 Merle hadn't come home from the school yet and Michonne had three teens in the kitchen helping her clean up from dinner telling them it was her duty to make sure they knew how to do these things. She insisted that the kids be put on a roster to help, she felt they needed some life skills to make it in the adult world, no worse than a child would have to do at home. She suggested that they all make their own beds too to help. She'd put washing baskets in everyone's bedrooms so that work loads were cut down by not double handling things.

Lizzie seemed happier, already she had a healthier look about her, it only been a day. Carol and Andrea had taken her to the mall after school ignoring the looks from other people and brought her some new clothes to accommodate her growing size. They also brought her some lip gloss and mascara because Andrea insisted that she was still a 15 year old teen girl and they needed to be aware of that too. Carol wasn't too sure about it, but went along with Andrea because when she was 15 she was too scared of her own shadow, Andrea knew more about make up and things that teen girls liked. Andrea brought her a MP3 player too, $20 and showed her how to down load some music, when Carol looked at her Andrea just flashed her a grin.

'Look if she's happy, the baby's happy, its $20,' Andrea said.

'I know but how am I supposed to put this through the accounts?' 

'You're not, its my treat for her,' Andrea said.

'Ok but don't spoil her too much because we have another ten kids at home who will want one, and that's $200,' They'd gone home with Lizzie and she'd holed herself up in her room resting and listening to music, reading gossip mags that Andrea had in her room. Lizzie couldn't believe how nice everyone had been to her. She felt relaxed for the first time in a long time. She rubbed her belly and felt the baby moving around. She was really really lucky Mr Dixon come to her school. She didn't care that some of the kids didn't like him but he'd really helped her. She lay on her side and listened to music, shut her eyes and finally felt confident enough to take a nap.

Daryl set aside half an hour that evening to go through her homework with her. Carl seemed to be away with the fairies thinking about things. Andre was bouncing around looking for the signs of car lights to come up the drive so he could go to the cottage and spend some time alone with his Dad. He'd been missing him. When Merle come to visit he normally spent two full days with Andre and since they moved back they barely spent anytime alone. 

Merle was still at the high school having a called a meeting with the teachers who were not preforming properly in any area's. Teachers who failed to show up to assembly and to teach in their class room. He'd been given permission from the state to let them go. Tomorrow there would be ten new temporary teachers in place including a new P.E teacher, and football coach. He'd been fielding calls from the football team's parents for the past two hours once word got out the coach was gone. Asking how the boys were going to get through the finals if their was no coach.

Merle run his hands through his hair, he needed a foot ball coach and a fair one. He was waiting for a call back from someone he knew who knew a little about football. He rolled his neck and started to shut down his computer and sent a text through to Michonne and Daryl saying he wouldn't be too much longer. He gave the janitor a wave and walked over to say a quick hello. Telling him he hoped that soon the school wouldn't be such a mess and the kids would start to take some pride in it. He'd heard that the bathrooms had been covered in body fluids today. He felt sorry for the old guy and told him to lock the door and they would call in professional cleaners to clean that mess up. Starting tomorrow there would be a new bathroom talk before school started.

He was waiting for a old roommate that he had in one home, Tyreese was an NFL player. He played one season for the Atlanta Falcons and then for another team before he left the game. He knew he had been doing some subbing at some schools and maybe he was interested in a full time gig. He really hoped he would. He knew he wouldn't' be influenced by parents or by the teens telling him what to do or not what to do. Merle knew he would have fair play implemented in the team very quickly.

 'Merle,' Come through a booming voice into the phone when he called finally. Merle had just pulled up the drive and he could see Andre looking out the window to him. Merle wanted to get out and go greet him but he needed to take the phone call first.

'You working at the moment brother?'

'Nah, just bumming around, you know how it is,'

'I'm in the need for a full time coach gig for a school I'm principle in, in Georgia,' Merle told him.

'Yeah, I happen to be in Atalanta right now, when do you need me?' 

'Tomorrow?'

'No pressure then, I need a place to stay for a couple of days, do you have something?'

'Daryl and I are helping run a children's home, there's a cottage out the back we can use, you can stay there for a few day's share with me until we find you somewhere,'

'Count me in, I'll be there in a few hours text me through the address while I pack some stuff,'

'Where are you right now?'

'Just staying with a mate, nothing special, give me half an hour I'll be on my way,'

Merle hung up the phone happy knowing he secured a great coach for the team and he could also help the p.e teacher. He sighed, he was tired and he needed to spend time with his son now. If he could just stay up long enough for Ty to arrive because he was nearly asleep on his feet. He made it up the back steps to the kitchen, Andre opened the door and started talking non stop to him. Merle just gave him a hug, mumbled thanks to Michonne who put food in front of him. He listened and talked quietly with Andre and sat for longer going through his homework. He said a brief hello to anyone who was awake, gave his new Niece a kiss then headed with Michonne back to the cottage where he told her that Ty was coming. 

 


	34. Chapter 34

Tyreese arrived late, really late, Merle come out to meet him. Greeted him with a hug and helped him carry his bag inside the cottage.

'You can stay here for a couple of nights, keep away from the kids till we get you vetted. Don't go into the main house,' Merle told him.

Tyreese nodded he knew how it rolled working with the kids. He was waiting for his own official stamp from the state to work with at risk children. Daryl was walking across the yard in the dark. He gave Ty a hug and said hello. Told him he had to get back because he was getting ready for bed. he'd just been up with the baby helping Rick with the bottle.

'Tyreese, how are you?' Daryl asked him. 

'Good man, good,' he told him, 'New gig tomorrow,'

'Good, those kids need a good kick up the butt,' Daryl said, 'You need to apply tomorrow do a police check thing if you wanna stay here,'

'Yeah Merle just told me, I'm just in the process of sending all that off, I'll drop it off tomorrow,' He told Daryl, Tyreese was thankful his teaching certificate was up to date, getting his stamp to be able to stay on a bit longer in the cottage would be easier if he had it. He yawned. Michonne come out to the porch, she was wrapped in a blanket, she called them all inside because it was very late, both Merle and Ty needed to have some sleep before tomorrow.

Daryl headed back over to the house. He was greeted by cries of baby Judith and he moved quickly through the house to find Rick Grimes trying to change her. Daryl slipped into the room to see that there was a messy diaper and Rick with his bum arm couldn't do it. He made quick work at changing her. Rick looked embarrassed that he couldn't take care of her properly, he forgot that he'd been close to dying a few weeks earlier.

'Thank you,' he whispered, mindful that she might wake some of the other children in the home and he was right little Sophia come to the door dragging a teddy, Daryl glanced at her. He didn't say anything until he had Judith all sorted. He wrapped up the dirty diaper, he handed her back to Rick.

'You ok now?'

'I think so, I'm just going to rock her in the bassinet,'

'You want me to put her in?'

Rick nodded, Judith was pretty much asleep already the lights were low and she was tired. She didn't sleep through waking a few times a night for milk but really she would go back to sleep quickly, Daryl tucked her in, helped Rick get back into bed and dragged the bassinet over so he could rock it with his good hand. Daryl turned the baby monitor on and said good night. He looked at Sophia who was still looking at him.

'You need to pee?' he asked her, she nodded, 'Come on then I need to wash my hands,'

'Where is everyone,'

'Asleep princess,'

'Why you awake?'

'Helping Rick with Judith, its my turn,' Daryl washed his hands while Sophia tucked her teddy under his arm and went to use the toilet. 'flush the toilet,'

he helped her wash her hands. Sophia was busy looking at him. Staring at him, he was tired and didn't have time at this time of night to answer hundreds of Sophia questions. He could see her gearing up to ask some due to she had him as a captive audience. She looked at him again and he looked at her, 'What?' he almost sighed asking her that question.

'Are you my Daddy?' Sophia asked him.

'Yeah I am,'

'And Carol's my Mummy?'

'Yeah she is,'

'Are you Bobby Daddy?'

'Kinda I guess, I am,'

'Why can't Bobby call you Daddy too?'

'He can if he wants too I suppose, I ain't really thought about it cos you all got sick then we ................ Soph its bed time,'

'What if you have a real baby will you still be my Daddy?'

'We ain't having a real baby right now,'

'But if you do have one,'

'You will be the first to know ok, now lets get you back to bed,' Daryl told her, 'Carry or you walking alone,'

'And Toby?'

'What about Toby?'

'Can he call you Daddy?'

'I think Toby's a bit big to call anyone Daddy but if he wants too, its you, me, Carol, Toby and Bobby,.................. Uncle Merle and Aunty Michonne,............... and your Aunty Andrea, we are a family,'

'That's a lot,'

Daryl just picked her up to carry her down the hall into one of the many bedrooms to help her back into bed to sleep. She grabbed his face and kissed him. He checked Bobby pulled up the blankets. He flashed his torch around, the doors were open he shone torches into all the bedrooms. Everyone looked ok and then it was time for him to go off duty and pass the baby monitor onto Andrea. 

He tapped on her bedroom door, she opened it half asleep. She blinked a few times and took the monitor. She left her door open to hear anyone who needed her. Daryl took a quick shower looking at the time it was 1.30am. He was shattered. He hoped he would get a sleep in. Late nights in homes were a killer. He'd got a short sleep in from 10pm till midnight then woke with Judith then a bit longer with everyone else. 

 

 

 


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys its been a while. This fic is a hard fic to write for some reason. Anyway I have no idea where or what I am about to write in this chapter I can only apologize for where we end up.

'Just jump on him, he's our Daddy now,' Daryl could hear faint whispering, something was pulling at his whiskers and hair. He tried to shake it off and he just heard a giggle.

'Like dis?'

'But with these bits,' 

Omf they lead with their knees and jumped on Daryl. They had excaped from breakfast and come through to the bedroom to jump on Daryl. He moaned as he was woken so harshly.

'What are you doing?' he growled at Bobby and Sophia. Both sat back on their bums looking at him. 'You're not supposed to be in here,'

'Sophie said to do it,' Bobby stuck his finger in his mouth, 'It wasn't me,'

'It wasn't me,' Sophia chimed in, the door pushed open and Carol come in telling them to get out of the bedroom it was out of bounds. They giggled and run off back through the house. Daryl rolled to his side and looked at her.

'They led with their knees,' he mumbled.

'Daryl do you have any idea why Sophia told Bobby that you are his Daddy now and he belongs to us?'

'Um kinda told her that in the middle of the night,'

'Did you think that should have been something we told Toby first? He's very upset,'

'Fuck it, I'll talk to him,'

'Yeah you better he's locked himself in his room and won't come out,'

'Ok... she ambused me in the middle of the night with loads of questions and I didn't know what to do,'

'Next time just sing twinkle twinkle little star hun,' Carol leaned in to kiss him, he moaned as she pulled away and pulled back his blankets to help him get out of bed.

'You could just get in,'

'You need to do the school run, the kids are nearly ready and you need to get Toby out of his room too,'

'Fine,' Daryl rolled over out of the bed heading off to have a shower before tackling Toby.

**********************************************************

'Toby... let me in to talk?' Daryl tapped on the bedroom door for entry. He tried twice and now he was going to use his key to get in the room. He heard some noise coming from inside and he knew it was the sound of a room getting trashed because the person inside was pissed off with life. He'd come across his share of trashed bedrooms Daryl just hoped he didn't have marker pens and stuff to trash the walls with. He hated having to repaint walls and replace windows. He heard the door click and Daryl opened it entering the bedroom. He left the door open and waited for Toby to say something.

'You wanted Bobby but not me?' Toby had been crying he could tell. There was sniffing and red rimmed eyes. Daryl felt bad that they hadn't talked to him before he told Sophia this was all his fault and now he had to try fix it.

'Its not like that... we were going to talk to you about it,' Daryl started, he looked around the room and could see that Toby had trashed it. The beds were everywhere, every article of clothing was tipped out onto the floor. 'Look what we did was applied for permanent foster care for Bobby  _and_ you. We didn't just want Bobby we did it so you both wouldn't get separated. We adopted Sophia because ... well I knew her parents, and they were going to ship her off to a institution because she wouldn't stop screaming and they were going to remove her,'

'Oh.... so I can call you Dad too? And Carol Mom?'

'If that's what you want to... do you think you wanted to?' Daryl was confused with what to do now.

'I don't know I never been wanted by no one... we keep getting bumped around since he was a baby and I want us to stay together,'

 'Toby so it mean's you are stuck with me and Carol now, if we move on or start working somewhere else you three now come with us, we wanted to adopt you all.... we just can't afford to this way we still get funding for you but you are protected and won't be removed from our care.'

'Ok... Can I call you Dad? and tell my teacher I have a Dad and Mom now?' Toby asked him. 

'If you want to, all the paper work's come through they ain't going to take you away from us,' Daryl told him, 'Toby... I'm sorry we just thought you were a little old and didn't want to be calling us Mom and Dad,'

'I'm only 12,' Toby told him, 'I never really had a Dad or a Mom, I helped look after Bobby and ... I want one,'

'You want me though?'

'I wanted Merle but you will do,' Toby flashed him a cheeky grin, Daryl shook his head at his joke and walked over giving him a hug.

'Just for that you can clean up this mess tonight after school alright, on your own,' Daryl rubbed his head, 'And you gotta make me something at school on fathers day alright,'

************************************************************

Daryl come back from doing the school run and he met up with Carol in the kitchen for a cup of coffee. Rick was pushing the pram down to the gate to try build up some fitness. Carol and Daryl were trying to come together once a day to connect. It was still early days for them and they needed this time. They looked out the window and could see Michonne hanging out some washing and Andrea was playing with Bobby and Sophia out in the sandpit. She was supposed to start school soon but she was still recovering from her operation. 

Daryl was holding her hand once they sat down side by side. She turned on her seat 'So Toby's ok?'

'He's ... he really really wants a Mom and Dad, I think he's trilled,' 

'Really even though its us, I wish we could keep them all... but we can't.... we can't afford it,' Carol wondered if they would ever be in a position to keep as many kids as they wanted to. They were trying at the moment all they could really do was to try keep them happy, they had lots of space left in the home for more children to come. If they could help them while they were here and get really good homes for them to go to. Carol really screened the people that wanted to foster. She had a sense of who she wanted or who she didn't. She also taught the children how to contact them without letting the foster parents know, by doing it through a phone at school. She so far hadn't had any problems. She also had code words with the kids so when she went to do a home visit they could ask about the homes cat and she would know that they didn't like it where they were.

Daryl thought this was very smart to do. She also was being asked if she wanted to work with placing children into permanent homes on more permanent basic. Daryl and Carol had been thinking about it for a couple of Days, Daryl thought it was a great idea, Carol wasn't sure if she could do the job justice she didn't know what she would do if she made a wrong choice. They were still talking about it. Daryl thought it was a good idea because it would give them another income that they could then use to do good for the children with.

 

 


	36. Chapter 36

Tyreese was having a great first day, he walked through the locker room telling everyone they had 7 minutes to be dressed and out on the field. He told them they didn't need to suit up at all and just to meet him out side. He left and he heard the whispers behind him.  'That's Tyreese Scott he used to play for Atlanta Falcons. They wondered what the heck was going on they all knew their old coach was gone because of misconduct and now they had a real ex player as coach.

They all raced out to the field to see what was going to happen. They all ground to a halt when there was more boys than just the team there. Merle Dixon was standing beside Tyreese and they were talking to each other.

'This school is pretty bad, no one cares about the other and the teachers don't care either,' Merle told him, 'They beat up a kid with down syndrome the other day this sports team,'

'You are joking, really?'

'I wish I was and one of the kids in my home.... Carl Grimes, he was facing being suspended because he stood up for him..... that's how I got this gig,' 

'Let me guess you and Daryl come in with guns blazing about one of your kids?'

'Both barrels and now we have to turn this place around, I need a whole stack of teachers, a few here still care but the rest..... they need to shape up or ship out,'

'What about the rest of the kids,'

'Some want to learn some just don't care so I need to get them all inspired,'

'You could bribe them with a dance,'

'How?'

'Well they all have to pass or no one gets the dance, make it so they are motivated to help each other, compassion and hell I don't know... you are a Dixon you live this stuff,'

'What? Making kids do shit they don't know they wanna until its too late?'

'Something like that, interview every kid see what their strengths are make every single one of them responsible for something. Hell I worked in a school that made each kid clean at the end of the school day. Got them on the end of mops and buckets. Wiping walls. All of them, they soon took pride in their school,' Tyreese told him, Merle stood there thinking about what he said. He was going to have to order more mops and buckets to make it work and spray bottles. But it was an interesting concept, the parents would hate it.

 

'Right as we all know your old coach is gone, please welcome Mr Scott as new coach and sports manager. You will play this weekend with your old team but come Monday there is a two week break and a new team will be organised. You must pass all your grades, have upstanding within the school!' Merle told them, 'Today its going to be about fair play and we want to see some good school spirit and no drama from anyone or you are in to see me and there will be a stand down from playing tomorrow,'

He could hear a whisper though the group of boys who were standing on the field Tyreese stepped forward. 'My name is Tyreese Scott. You may address me as 'Coach, Mr Scott or Sir!' There was low murmer rolling around the field. 'I am not employed to put up with teenage bullshit, the only people I want to see are the ones giving the best, I don't care if you are coming first or last as long as you are giving your best. Now I want you all to run around the field 4 times.... GO!'

They stood and watched the boys run off, Tyreese pointed right at the back of the group Carl was running sort of doing the side step holding Jimmy's hand encouraging him to keep going and he could do it. Merle felt a sense of pride but at the same time felt that Carl needed to try his best. He went to walk over to meet them, 'I got it,' Tyreese told Merle. Merle was in a suit and Tyreese was in sports gear jogged off slowly towards the back of the group that was heading around the top of the field.

'You go Carl I'll run with....?' Tyreese said to Carl.

'Jimmy... He can't run very fast.... he has a bad heart,' Carl told him.

'Ok maybe we just run as much as we want to then,' Tyreese took over Jimmy's hand and did the side suffle like Carl was doing and Carl took off like a demon. Tyreese watched the other boy take off wondering why out of all the boys he was the one who stayed behind and fell back to help another student. He was a nice kid.

'Carl's my friend,' Jimmy panted telling Tyreese, 'He's Going to try out, he can kick a ball,'

'That's good Jimmy, how far we running?'

'Just to there Mr Scott,' Jimmy pointed to Merle who was watching all the rest of the kids run, Tyreese and Jimmy took as long to run one lap as it did for all the others to run 4. Tyreese and Merle noticed that Carl put Jimmy into the groups he was in and helped him pass the foot ball and showed him paitenly over and over again how to try catch it. When the class was over at the end Tyreese sent them all off to the showers.

Long after the class had finished he walked through the locker rooms it was empty apart from two boys. Carl and Jimmy. Carl was helping Jimmy do his shoes up and packing his stuff away in his bag.

'What's going on.... why you still in here?'

'Jimmy doesn't like to shower with the others, they make fun of him so we waited,' Carl told him. Jimmy looked at the ground waiting to get into trouble like he did with the other coach.

'Jimmy do you see that one over there that has a disable sign, its for kids who have any sort of problems including ones who don't like to shower in front of others.... I don't like to shower in front of others. Would you like to use that one?' Tyreese asked him.

'Yes,' Jimmy whispered.

'Are you able to get dressed yourself?'

'Yes, just my laces,' Jimmy told him.

'Ok if you need laces done you can ask anyone of the boys in here to do them and they will do them up for you,' 

'They won't,' Jimmy told him, 'They laugh,'

'They won't laugh because if they do they won't play, now you are like a celeb, you have your own shower and your own team of shoe squad. How about that?'

'That would be fun,'

'That would be great because I get in trouble when I am late Mr Scott,' Carl told Tyreese. 'No one ever helps with Jimmy,'

'Ok let me sort it, I'll get it sorted,' Tyreese waved the boys away after he wrote them notes to excuse their lateness to classes. He sat down on the bench seat of the locker room quickly realizing he had a whole lot more to teach these kids about becoming good men than just teaching them how to play ball. He quickly was forming a plan in his head about how to work compassion and understanding into an assignment. These kids were way off line that only one kid in the whole gym class took the time to make sure a friend had a partner or someone to help them get dressed so they wouldn't be left alone. It couldn't be left to one kid alone. They needed to come together as a team. Merle was right the whole school needed a bit of a shake up and fast.

 

 


	37. Chapter 37

The door of Merle's office slammed against the wall, he call hear his assisant calling out that they couldn't just walk in there. Merle looked up at the tearful face of Lizzie who flopped down across from him banging her book bag on his desk.

'Lizzie?' Merle didn't know what it was but she was wild about something.

'She said I couldn't go on school camp!'

'Who said?'

'Mrs Stinkface,'

'Ok well what would I call Mrs Stinkface if I was talking to her,' Merle took a sip of his coffee.

'Mrs Stimfark,' Lizzie told him.

'I don't know who she is?'

'Mrs Simpson, the social studies teacher said I was too pregnant to go on camp and I would be a bad influence on the other girls,'

'Did she now? How far along are you?'

'6 months,'

'And what did the doctor say when you saw her with Carol last week?'

'She said I needed to take better care of myself and eat more and try relax,'

'Where are they going on camp?' Merle started tapping away on his computer pulling up lists for camps and when everything was. He found the camp and could see why they might not want Lizzie to go, 'They are going rock climbing and abseiling Lizzie,'

'But they also going to the museum and to the chocolate factory, I can sit and watch them abseil and climbing... please? Can you pay for me to go?'

'We can afford for you to go but... Lizzie I need to look at a health and safety plan for you to go,' Merle didn't know what the protocol for a heavily pregnant teen to go on school camp. It was three days of out door activities, but it was more than that. It was the whole experience of sleep overs and eating smores. Telling ghost stories. It was over a weekend. He'd already signed Andre's permission slip to go. He sighed. 'Look I will see what I can do. Lizzie my hands might be tied by the state here. I'll check into it but just so you know, if you go I go ok... or someone goes with you, because we need to have an emergency plan if something goes wrong.'

'Ok... so you will tell Stinky you going to look into it,'

'I'll tell Mrs Simpson that I'm looking into it and I will sign the permission slip myself.  _BUT_ Lizzie you have to get an all clear from your doctor signing to say its ok for you to go on camp,'

'Thank you, thank you, thank you,' Lizzie told him, she stood up to leave, 'Thank you,' she tossed over her shoulder as she left out. Merle made a phone call to see if there were any policies about letting a pregnant teen go on camp before he talked to her teacher about it.

###########################################

Mrs Simpson didn't look to happy to be called into Merle's office to talk about Lizzie after school she clearly didn't want to take the pregnant teenager with them on camp. Her face turned sour when Merle told her it wasn't up to the teacher to exclude Lizzie from activities, as long as Lizzie was fit and able to go she could go as long as she had a permisson form filled in and a doctors note. She clearly would not be taking part in the rock climbing or abseiling but there would be plenty of other things for her to do.

'I'm going to need more parent help I imagine a lot of parents will pull out when they find out she is going,' the teacher sneered.

'How about this, you pull out and I will take them because clearly you will not be able to treat her with respect on this camp,' Merle challenged her.

'No no, I didn't mean it like that,'

'How did you mean it then, If we lose parent help I am sure there are some teachers and I know I can get two or three from the home to help also Tyreese will help,' Merle told her, 'We are only required to have so many helpers, we will be fine. If there are any issues send them straight to me. If I hear you saying anything bad to Lizzie about this I will find out,'

'Its fine... I just didn't know if she was allowed to go or not,'

'Well she is, I'm one of her guardians and as long as her doctor approves she will be ok,' Merle gestured to her that their meeting was over. He made a note to go sit in one a few social studies classes to see what was going on in there. This women clearly had a strict thought beliefs and he was concerned that it could be spilling over into her class. There was a tap at the door and the young teacher called Bob was standing there.

'Heard there might be some need for help on the camp, I can come,' he offered, Merle nodded and wrote himself a note to remind him of the offer.

'Thankyou very much,'

'I over heard Stinky talking about it in the staff room so I thought I would offer, you will need to get three females to go though,'

'You all call her Stinky?'

'The kids do... ' Bob gave a low laugh, 'Ok, I'm outa here, have a good weekend, 'Merle I'm glad you're here you are really turning this place around and the kids are going to appreciate it... eventually,' Merle nodded and waved him good bye, yeah the kids were going to love it when he made them start cleaning up their school come Monday. Teach them all valuable life lesson.


	38. Chapter 38

 

Merle had come home from school and helped Daryl work with the teens doing their homework. He even helped with the baby. Rick was sound asleep because he had over done it that afternoon walking down the drive. Rick was annoyed with himself that he wasn't improving as fast as he thought he should. Daryl convinced him that sleeping would help him heal faster and they were not in a rush to throw him out of the home. He was best to take it easy until he recovered better and he would recover faster. 

Andrea had taken over the care for Judith once they had him off to bed and took her into town to pick up some supplies that were needed. Carol went with her and both women spent the afternoon picking out some clothes for some of the children at the home. They received more funding for the kids to buy more clothes. It was extremely timely due to the fact that they were still on limited everything since they took over. Carol dug into her and Daryl's bank account to buy clothes for Sophia, Toby and Bobby. They were being paid to keep the boys still on a different system but everything for Sophia was all on them. 

They were thankful that they did have free accommodation in the home and they did have their own bedroom that was huge and their own bathroom. Andrea and Rick were sharing a bathroom that was between their rooms with connecting doors and the rest of the kids were sharing two bathrooms. It was a busy house and they were thankful they had more than one washing machine and dryer for all the people living in their house.

Andrea goo'd over the baby clothes she was looking at for Judith, Carol looked at her friend who had the baby strapped to her chest in a baby holder. 'You are not getting too attached to that baby are you? You know she's going back with her dad,'

'I know, she's just too cute to resist,' Andrea flashed her a guilty look. Carol stared at her friend again wondering what the guilty look was about. She suddenly thought about the connecting doors between their bedrooms. Andrea's guilty look and her healthy appetite for sex. 

'Andrea... you're not... um... making night time house calls are you?'

'I... no... I' Andrea stuttered, Carol knew right in that moment that it was happening right under everyone's noses. 

'Oh my God, that's why he's so tired, he didn't over do it walking to the gate, he's over doing it because....' Carol whispered, 'He's doing you?'

'Carol... ' Andrea blushed and didn't deny it but kissed the baby's head, 'Its complicated,'

'Don't tell me any more I don't even want to know,'

'Well we all can't just meet the guy of our dreams and get married in a week,' Andrea tried to counter. Carol just shook her head not wanting to get into anything about it. Both Rick and Andrea were adults and Rick was just staying there until he was well enough to move out into his own place with his kids. She didn't need to be involved, but Daryl would sure be interested in on the gossip she thought. 

Later that night Carol and Andrea were on putting the children to bed and once Michonne had finished up sorting everything in the kitchen out they headed back across to the cottage. Tyreese was already in his room and they could hear the tv going in there. Merle knew that Ty always slept with the tv on and it would work for their advantage if they were to be loud in the bedroom. 

'No... I'm not abseiling,' Michonne told Merle. They were lying in bed in post coital  glow when Merle sprung the question on her asking her if she would come with him and help with the school camp. She gave him the side eye look as if he was kidding her. She shook her head as soon as he come up with the suggestion and a big fat nope. 

'Think of it as a honeymoon,' Merle propped himself up on his elbow to talk with Michonne. He was trying to convince her that it would be a really awesome time for her to come spend time with him helping on the school camp. Michonne was having none of it. She done her turn at looking after teenagers and kept shaking her head that she wasn't going. Merle run his hand along her body again to try tempt her.

'It will be romantic... how many teenagers again?' Michonne rolled her eyes.

'We will have our own room...'

'Yeah and we will have to do room checks and things?'

'No one's going to be checking our room babe,'

'Yeah but we will have to be quiet and not be loud,' Merle tried to convince her.

'How many teenagers?'

'Not that many... a couple... of dozen,' Merle admitted, not wanting to say forty or more. Michonne rolled him onto his back and sat up looking at him over her shoulder.

'How many... or I put a tee shirt on,'

'About forty... maybe more, I need to look,' Michonne gave him a tiny shove when he admitted the number of kids that they would be watching. So much for his it will be a romantic time. Clearly the older Dixon had no idea what was romantic or not. Merle just laughed, 'I put your name down anyway,'

'You did not,'

'Yeah... I did, come on it will be fun,' Merle rolled her onto her back and nuzzled along her collar bone, 'I promise I'll make it fun and even pack some chocolate cookies or something,'

'You are not going to bribe me with chocolate cookies, I'm not Daryl,'

'Well... I'll find something you like,' he moved down her body heading south, he already had her signed up and he would take her over his shoulder if he had too. Trying to convince her to say yes was just for his own enjoyment.

*********************************************************

Daryl was having his own conversation with Carol in their bedroom talking about Sophia starting school soon and how she was going to be enrolled as Sophia Dixon. Daryl couldn't believe that they had been married for such a short time and also they had three children in their permanent care. They were wondering if they could do legal name changes for the boys also so if and when they did move on all the children would be moving with the same name as them.

'Never thought I would see a day when a kid would be wanting to become a Dixon,' Daryl commented. He was squashed up behind Carol's back and they been lying that way for some time now. He'd climbed into bed after Carol and was nuzzling into her spine making her shiver. Toby had asked Carol about a name change when he come home from school asking if they could change his name to the same as them. Carol didn't know what they had to do to do it but told him that they would look into it first thing in the morning. Toby made sure they knew to ask for Bobby also.

'Of course they do, that's why they all want to call you Dad too, does it feel weird?' She asked him quietly.

'Hm, it all does. Being married with three kids that I'm responsible for, plus another ten or more, it feels really weird,'

'I just think its weird that we found each other and fell so hard and now we are married,' Carol mused, 'I've dated a couple of frogs until I knocked on the door and there you were looking all sexy and hot,'

'You were dressed to the nines and I wondered what the hell we were in for,'

'You thought I was going to be up myself?'

'No I thought you were adorable and sexy as fuck but had no idea how you would help us and the kids. I'm pleased I was wrong,' Daryl started kissing down her spine to make her stop talking, he rolled her back onto him further and wriggled back more until she was flat on her back so he could kiss her where he wanted too.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	39. Chapter 39

Carol took Lizzie to the doctors to have a check up before she would go to the camp with Merle. Carol asked Lizzie if she wanted Carol to come with her into the exam room  with her or to wait in the waiting room. Lizzie indicated that she wanted Carol to come with her and stay by her side while she had her check up. Lizzie still hadn't come out with who was the father of the baby yet either. She had noticed though that Carl and Lizzie seemed to be friends long before Lizzie even came to stay with them.

She had questioned their friendship on their way to the doctors.

'So how long have you known Carl?' Carol asked her. She had her own idea's about it because she had witnessed some exchanges between them. She hadn't voiced her thoughts to anyone, not even Daryl, but she hoped Lizzie might just tell her.

'Since I was five,' Lizzie told her. 'Why?'

'Just wondering... it must be nice having him as your friend.' Carol prompted.

'Hm.'

'Did you used to go out with Carl?' Carol decided to go for the main question.

'Why?'

'Lizzie you know you can tell me anything... anything at all.' Carol told her.

'His mother was crazy... and my dad wasn't nice... we used to hang out away from the houses,' Lizzie admitted. 'Carl's dad was working and his mom was out she was having an affair... you know with that guy who killed her. I told Carl but we didn't know what to do and now we both ended up at the home.' 

'Have you been sneaking around with Carl at the house?' Carol asked her, Daryl was not going to like this, she thought. Neither would Merle and Andrea, not to mention Carl's dad.

'Not really.' Lizzie told her. 'I mean ... I suppose... we kissed a few times.' 

Carol was trying to not let it show on her face that the teens had managed to get together long enough to kiss a few times. She didn't know what Rick Grimes was going to think about becoming a Granddaddy at thirty seven. She had not outright asked if Carl was the father but that was what she thought Lizzie was telling her.

'Is Carl the father?' Carol indicated to Lizzies stomach.

'Yeah... but no one knows,' Lizzie said. 'Just me and Carl. We were thinking we could tell his Dad but then when his mother died.'

'Why didn't you tell us when you came to stay and Carl was there that you both had a relationship and he was the father?' Carol asked her.

'Carl didn't want too because he was scared that you might kick me out... or I don't know, we just didn't want anyone to know ... I was already in a bad space with my parents. That's why I was staying with my grandma.'

'You know we are going to have to have a sit down meeting with everyone,' Carol told her, she would have to figure out what the protocol was now. Carl would be moving out of the home within the next few weeks but it was already too late. Lizzie was pregnant and they already slept together. Then Carol asked, 'Lizzie you had the birds and the bee's talk haven't you? You know how babies are made.'

'Sort of, my parents didn't give all the details but we only did it that once and we didn't think it would happen, but it did,' Lizzie looked all her fifteen years. Her thought process had been over taken by hormones.

'Lizzie you know you can get pregnant every time you have sex right?'

'But you have... you know with Daryl and you don't get pregnant,' Lizzie said.

'Daryl and I... well we use birth control, when you have the baby your doctor will talk to you about it.' Carol was mindful of what she was saying to the young girl.

Carol sat through the appointment listening to the questions and answers that Lizzie was giving. The doctor was happy about the weight gain Lizzie had put on a nice amount of weight. She really couldn't see any reason why Lizzie couldn't go on camp providing she ate and drank water regularly. She was now in perfect heath for a girl her age apart from the pregnant belly out the front of her. She asked if Carol had any questions. So far they hadn't discussed anything after the baby was born what Lizzie's plans were with the baby. They told her they had her until she was eighteen and then would give her ongoing support privately if she wanted it after then. 

The thing now was that she knew they would have to tell Rick the latest developments. She really wanted to get the two teens together and go on from there. She quickly asked the doctor to explain birth control to Lizzie. Carol walked out of the room, she told Lizzie she had to make a quick phone call. She rung Merle to call Carl to his office and come met her and Lizzie outside to go for a walk. Merle was confused on the phone but agreed to what Carol wanted.

Carl walked into Merles office like he was being led into the Gallows. He had no idea why he was being called in and was worried that there was something wrong with his dad.

'No Carol rang and said she and Lizzie wanted to talk.' Merle told him. 

Carl's face went pale and his eyes opened wide. Merle didn't miss that look.

'Is there something you want to tell me before I get ambushed?' Merle asked him, he grabbed his suit jacket to lead Carl out of the school. Carl shook his head that he didn't know and shrugged his shoulders. Carl was shitting his pants that Lizzie told. She promised she would never tell. Carl took a nervous glance at Merle who was standing there with his hands in his pockets.

'You know I've been in this game a long time. I don't think that Carol and Lizzie are just swinging by the school to take us out for an ice cream do you? They just been to the baby doctor so I guess we have some news... lets hope its not twins.' Merle took a sneaky glance at the teenager by him.

'It won't be... twins right? They already said there is only one in there.' Carl stammered.

'You know how babies are made right Carl?' Merle almost felt sorry for the boy. Carol had quickly filled him in over the phone and he wouldn't say he was shocked because there had been some underlying currents between the two teens. They just past it off as them knowing each other their whole lives. This was a whole new spin on things. It was almost a better spin on things because now Lizzie wasn't totally alone. Merle didn't want to be the one to tell Rick Grimes though. That could be left to Daryl. It was his turn.

Carol pulled up in the car. Lizzie got out of the front seat to let Merle in. Carl held the door open for her to go into the back on. The adults didn't miss the look between the two. 'They know,' was all she said. Carl looked like he was going to run. Lizzie put her hand on his arm. 'They are going to help us... talk to your dad with us. Its going to work out.' Lizzie told him, Carl just walked away leaned over in the gutter and vomited. 

 

 

 


	40. Chapter 40

Carol ignored the call from Daryl something she had never done but discreatly flicked him a text saying she was having a meeting with Merle, Carl and Lizzie and he should be able to fill in the gap's with a little imagination. His text reply.

_OMFG its Carl's? Rick is going to flip out!_

She read his text and text back.

_Give them a chance to work it all out for themselves and talk with Rick_

_I'm not touching this. Its all your's babe._

_Chicken._

_The man going to flip out._

Rick might flip out considering that there would be two babies under one. Judith was barely three months old and Lizzie only had another couple of months to go with her pregnancy. She didn't know what they could actually offer them. Lizzie was with them until she was eighteen they would have to file for something special for the baby to be kept with the home unless Lizzie wanted to adopt the baby out or Carl chose to keep it. It was just one big mess Carol and Merle had to clear up.

Carol had brought both teens a drink and let them sit alone at a booth away from her and Merle for a little while. Merle originally didn't want them to be alone anywhere. Carol let him know that they needed to let them talk together because they had been hiding all this information from everyone. It was only fair. Merle threw looks to the back booth because Carl was sitting with his arm around Lizzie and she was crying. 

'Should we go back there?' Merle asked Carol. 'She's crying.'

'She's pregnant and has been hiding a big secret for a long time. Her emotions are all over the place.'

'How did this happen?' Merle asked, he looked up as the waitress brought over their drinks. Carol accepted her drink and then they both kept an eye on the teens to make sure Lizzie wasn't getting too upset.

'Why do you think they didn't tell anyone?' 

'Lots of reason's, when Lizzie told her parents she got kicked out of home. Apparently Carl helped her get her stuff and she moved in with the grandma. Then Carl's mom had Judith then on top of that there was the affair and then Carl's mom was killed. They probably were caught up in that and then time slipped away on them, until they moved into the home. They been hiding a great deal.' Carol told him.

'So who's telling Rick Grimes he's about to be a granddad?'

'You! and Carl... I'm not touching this.' Carol put both her her hands up in the air. 

'Thanks... so what now? What do we do with this?' Merle run his hand across his face. It was too much right now trying to figure it all out. 'Do we have to tell the authorities?'

'Well Rick will be moving out at some stage with Carl and Judith, a week or more so by the time the paperwork all gets processed Carl won't be in the house. Also this wasn't done in our care. They had sex on Rick and his wife's watch.... or while his mom was having the affair... but ...'

'What?'

'Andrea... her and Rick are...' Carol glanced over to where the teens were and then back to Merle. 'You know.'

 'Are you kidding me right now. Is there anyone not ... fucking... ' Merle dropped his voice for the last word. Carol shook her head and she couldn't help it she giggled at his outrage.

'Well... Tyreese.' Carol suggested, she was actually enjoying spending some time with Merle neither of them had spoken much on their own. Neither of them had run the home alone like she did with Andrea or Daryl. Merle was only there at nights now but something told her he was going to try and bail on helping Carl talk to Rick. 'You need to support Carl talking with his dad. You have to be the middle man.'

'Yeah I know... Daryl?' Merle looked hopeful that she could talk Daryl into doing it instead of him.

'I don't think so...' Carol watched as the two teens walked over and joined them at the table.

'We talked it over... do you think we could ask dad to help us look after the baby?' Carl asked them.

'Sure I think its ok... it depends on what you both want. Your dad already has Judith so depends what you are asking him. Do you want him to raise your baby as his or just help you raise it?' Carol asked them.

'I'm not sure...' Lizzie said. 'I didn't think I would have a choice. I think I am too young to be a mom and he trying to look after Judy so he might not want another baby.' Lizzie looked upset and Carl reached out to hold her hand.

'Lets talk with Rick about this and see what he says. We still have time... we do, we have time to talk about everything.' Carol told them. 'Right now we need to sit down with Carl's dad and talk.'

'Will you be there?' Carl asked Carol.

'I... was going to let Merle be with you.'

'Can you both be there we want to talk to him together,' Carl told them.

'Ok... we will talk to him together.' Merle told them. They paid for their drinks and left to go back to the home to talk with Rick about the pending grandchild that was on its way to meet him.


	41. Chapter 41

Carol sat at the big dinning room table wondering when Rick was going to stop rocking. He had been told the news that he was going to be a granddad and he wasn't' taking it very well. He kept going to say something but no words were coming out at all. Carol hoped he wasn't about to pull his scar or something.

"And we were wondering if you wanted to adopt the baby for us?" Carl asked him.

"I need a minute..." Rick stood up and stumbled his way outside and down the steps to the yard. He sat on the steps outside. His little girl was asleep in the carry cot pram outside with a shade cloth over top of her. Andrea had rocked her to sleep walking up and down the drive as she had been unsettled all day. Andrea had been sitting outside playing with Bobby and Sophia while an important meeting had been going on inside the house.

He sat down beside Andrea and felt like he was going to cry, it was bad enough he was raising a baby that he knew wasn't his that now he was being told he was going to be a grandfather and his teenaged son had knocked up a fifteen year old girl under his dead mothers watch. He looked towards the pram and then at Andrea. She was waiting for him to talk to her if she was going to find out what was happening in the kitchen.

"I'm going to be a granddad." He admitted. "Carl knocked up Lizzie."

"Wow, just wow."

"They want me to adopt the baby."

"Are you allowed to do that? Whats the guidelines around that?"

"The birth mother can pick a family or parents." Rick told her, "I'm a cop and they will run a check and everything so I'll be ok if I want to have two babies under six months." Rick sighed. "I'm going to have two babies under six months and now I'm not sure if I'm up to that... I'm barely able to get up to Judy during the night."

"Carl could help you."

"He will be..." Rick told her, "but I'm worried I won't be able to cope, it will be twice the work and I'm only one guy... I don't think I can do it."

"The baby can stay with Lizzie at the home."

"What about when Lizzie turns eighteen." Rick run his hand through his hair, "She going to have a kid and nothing, I'll have to get a nanny or something we will muddle through or something... I guess." He sighed again. "I'm not really that good a catch now am I. Two babies and a wayward teenager." 

They had been talking about their relationship and they had decided that they were going to give it a go after the Grimes family went back home to their own home. Andrea had a soft spot for Judith and Carl, she and Rick were getting closer and closer as each day passed. It was quick they both knew it was a quick relationship but they spent so much time together and they didn't feel like they had to explain it to anyone else. They could take it slowly as they wanted to, and Rick knew that now he would have two babies that Andrea might not want to be with him because of that.

Andrea put her hand on Rick's knee and gave it a squeeze. She gave him a smile and now she was waiting to hear what else he was going to say. She was worried that he was going to back away from the relationship they had because of the new issues that were cropping up for Rick now. He hadn't said anything that he didn't want to keep seeing her, Andrea gave him what she hoped was a supportive smile. He gave her a tight smile back. Rick was starting to look for a new place to buy because Carl and he didn't want to go back to their own family home. Now he was going to have to rethink everything and the size of a new home. He hoped the new baby was a girl and he could have them share a room. Judith was going to be an aunt at barely six months old.

"I can help you... I'll come my days off and the nights I'm not working I can come over to help." She offered him, he put his hand on her hand that was on his knee and gave it a squeeze, he leaned towards her an bumped his shoulder against hers. He looked wrecked, he looked like if he could run he'd be off down the drive and running down the road. He wanted to know why Andrea was being so calm about it all. She even looked a little excited about the fact they were getting to keep the new baby. She made a decision a long time ago she would never have her own baby so babies were her achilles heel, like Daryl's achilles heel was chocolate. 

"Why?"

"Because I know..." She traced down his arm with her finger, "I know you taken on Judith." Andrea put her hand on his hand and brought it up to her mouth and kissed it, he stared at her as she did such a gentle gesture to him. "You're a good guy Rick Grimes, a really good one." Andrea leaned across and went to kiss his cheek, Rick turned his face to her and kissed her on her mouth.

"I..." Rick was going to say that he didn't do anything but he knew Andrea knew that Judith wasn't his but his dead wife's baby with her boyfriends. "Its going to be ok... We are going to be ok... aren't we?" 

Andrea nodded, he leaned in and kissed her. He was just deepening the kiss when someone behind him coughed, "You know that's how babies start being made, and I'm sure you probably going to have enough at your place. Do you care to come in and put these kids out of their misery?" Merle looked out the back door at them. Rick nodded and kissed Andrea again and followed Merle up the stairs to meet his fate of single daddy with babies.  

 


	42. Chapter 42

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys its been a age. I think this will wrap up in the next few chapters.

Daryl was lying in bed watching Carol walk about trying to get herself ready for bed. She was actually pacing. She was trying to figure out the in's and outs of the problems with Lizzie and how this was all going to work. She was also worried about what the other kids at school would say once they figured out Carl was the father of Lizzies baby.

Daryl yawned and pushed back the covers, he turned her in the direction of the bathroom and turned on the shower. He pushed her back against the bathroom door and started kissing her at the same time trying to get his hands up underneath her shirt to take the shirt off her.

She broke the kiss and looked at him biting on her own lip, she gave him a small smile. 

"What are you doing?" She asked him.

"What do you think I'm doing?" Daryl started tugging at her shirt again as his lips went to her neck, "Stop thinking about everyone else and lets get to bed... You gonna wear a hole in the carpet."

"I'm trying to work something out," She looked down at her husband. He was wearing pj pants just in case he had to run about during the night, with the mood he was in he probably wouldn't be wearing them for long because his eyes were full of lust, but he was the person on call but Merle and Andrea were on nights tonight but Daryl was their back up.  They barely spent time together lately, well they had spent time together but actual time together under the covers and making love to each other. They both enjoyed their jobs but they didn't enjoy not spending that one on one time together, they were still newly weds and still exploring each other.

"No you are off duty and you are supposed to be taking a shower and getting into bed with me ... so get your clothes off now." He was teasing her but she could hear the pleading behind his teasing. She wanted to but she also needed to have a shower because she missed out on her shower that morning.

Daryl kissed her again and reached behind her, he snaked his hands up the back of her shirt to unclip her bra. She smiled it felt good to free them from their constraints. She lifted her tee shirt up over her head and took her bra with it. Daryl had a look on his face like he was a kid in the candy store and candy was staring at him. He bent his head to put his face inbetween them. He was sure enjoying himself with her topless, he looked up at her face with a huge smirk on his face. Carol couldn't believe that he was so wrapped up in her breasts. 

"Back off buddy, I'm going to take a shower first. If you have your way I'll not get in there for an hour." Carol pushed him back slightly and he yielded stepping aside and watching as she dropped her pants to step into the shower.  He run his hands right down her sides and pushed himself against her, she pulled his face to hers and kissed him again, she was so wrapped up in the kiss that she could have been easily led to have sex right up against the bathroom door. She lifted her head away from his mouth for a second. She looked at his face as he almost pouted.

She pushed him away again and stepped into the shower, Daryl leaned back against the bathroom door watching her, she narrowed her eyes and muttered pervert and turned her back on him. He let out a low whistle as he admired her back view. Carol just shook her head and frowned over her shoulder at him. 

"Do you think you could find something else to do for five minutes? I think Michonne made brownies..." Carol hinted at him.

"No she didn't she said she's not making anything with chocolate anymore she's cutting me off." Daryl told her, "She's just being mean."

"No she's not but you might have a big problem." Carol said. "She's just trying to help."

"How much longer are you gonna be?" Daryl asked her.

Carol sighed, he was standing waiting like a kid at a candy store, "Five minutes, give me five minutes and I can shave my legs and then I will come to bed."

"Promise... you been pretty busy with everyone else, you aint gonna climb into bed and fall asleep like you did last night?" Daryl asked her.

"Tell you what, give me one minute, I'll forgo my legs ok." Carol yawned Daryl's hand whipped up and pointed to her mouth.

"No yawning." He growled. "I don't care if you shave your legs or not, don't be too long,"

"I can't help it. I get tired when I get worried." Carol told him, she watched his back retreat into the bedroom. She quickly washed everywhere she wanted to wash without him watching and then followed him into the bedroom wrapped in a towel. She looked at her husband, sure she had taken a few extra minutes to brush her teeth but Daryl had done a full night the night before and only a nap today, he was lying on the bed sound asleep. Carol sighed and covered him with a blanket then climbed in the bed beside him to go to sleep herself. She tried not to feel guilty for not making time for him over the past few days and nights. Everything had been crazy and the problem with living at your job was that you actually didn't get a great deal of time for yourself. They both had tomorrow night off and she was going to try see if she could find somewhere they could go and spend the night away from the home before Merle left with his job to go on camp.

 


	43. Chapter 43

Carol was having a heart to heart with Andrea while they were playing along side the children in the sand pit. Daryl had taken Rick in for a check up. Merle was at school, Michonne was packing for the up coming camp that they would all be leaving on tomorrow. Lizzie and Carl had both gone to school as a united front because they felt that now they could allow themselves to be honest that they did like each other. 

Rick and Daryl were also going to go and see Rick's house to see if they could move back into there or if they should look at getting a new place. Rick was leaning towards putting it on the market and finding something that would suit him and his new family. Daryl told him that they would stop by the real estate agents to figure it all out. Rick's old home had been cleaned and had new carpet and wall paper put in in his absence. It could go on the market and his wife had been heavily insured so he actually for the first time had a great deal of money in his bank.

He had asked Andrea about it and she had said she wasn't keen on sleeping with him in the bed he'd slept with his dead wife in but apart from that he needed to do what was best for his kids. Now they were discussing Carol's problem, actually her last nights problem with having some one on one time with Daryl and the new problem that popped up for her little family this morning via a phone call from Eugene who helped them get permanent care for the boys.

"Did you ring Daryl yet?" Andrea asked.

Carol looked at Bobby and shook her head, the phone call was from Eugene telling her that Toby and Bobbies uncle had cleared the court system allowing him access and visitation to both boys. He had tired before apparently and failed but now he was some top shot lawyer and he managed to take it back to court with his boyfriends money that they were now allowed supervised access to the boys. It was complicated because the uncle wanted permanent care of them but Carol and Daryl already did.

The uncle was fuming and wanted to get access to the boys now because he had always been blocked because he was gay. Now gay marriages and other laws had been passed it meant he could apply as a couple to permanently place them both with him. However now they couldn't have them because the kids had already been permanently placed. Eugene had had an intensive phone call with the uncle that morning and suggested rather than court action against Carol and Daryl that they try meeting and having supervised access at the home before lunch. In an hour or so. 

Carol looked at her watch and shook her head. "I don't know what to say to him, I mean he and Toby are coming to a understanding and Bobby just adores him, it would break Daryl's heart." 

"He will want to be here. How about I ring and swap with him to deal with Rick and he can be here." Andrea suggested. It also worked in her favour to support Rick going to the real estate and going to his old home for the first time since the shooting.

"I will ring him now." Carol stood up and went to move away from Sophia and Bobby so they didn't hear her calling Daryl. Daryl took the news she passed onto him badly, really badly, in fact he left Rick at the hospital at his appointment and drove home. Daryl told the receptionist that someone would come pick up Rick to take him to the next place. Andrea headed off to the hospital with Judith in tow to pick up Rick before Daryl made it home. 

When Daryl pulled up the drive he had a face on him like thunder. He stepped out of the truck and strode towards Carol who walked across to meet him.

"Why didn't you just say no... tell them they couldn't come." Daryl growled, Carol put her hand on his arm.

"Well I think Eugene thought that they were going to take you and I to court or something. For full custody this way... this way we can meet them and they can meet us, but Daryl if they are nice guys and want to give them a forever home wouldn't that be better for them being adopted by their uncle and living in a forever home than being with us on a permanent placement?"

"Why haven't they been around before now?" Daryl wanted to know.

"I think they tried but now laws have changed and guys can adopt and they got married, now they can apply." Carol shrugged, she really didn't know how it all worked. She wrapped her arms around his neck to hug him, she could tell he was more upset than she was because she could see the big picture, they took the boys on so they wouldn't be split but the uncle had been trying to get both since Bobby was born. "Lets just meet them and see what happens."

"Why are you ok with this?" Daryl growled again, he didn't want anything to rock the boat with his kids in it.

"Well I don't know them and they been trying to see the boys for some time so lets just wait and see shall we... I think we will get a good read off them the moment we see them or they interact with Bobby." Carol told him, she took his hand and they walked towards the two little kids in the sand box. They sat down talking to the little ones and Carol explained that they had some new friends coming for morning tea that morning. Sophia and Bobby didn't show a great deal of interest at all, Bobby just moved closer and closer to Daryl when they spoke of new people coming.

They stayed outside playing where the children were relaxed. Daryl went away and dragged over the outside seating seats so there was more seating by the sandpit under the big old tree so they could spend some time outside with the kids without the heat knocking them all over. They were getting ready for morning tea when a new SUV drove slowly up the drive and parked next to Daryl beat up one that he used to drive the kids to school. 

"Arseholes..." Daryl muttered when he saw two very groomed men get out of the SUV, they looked around and gave Carol and Daryl a shy wave. Quickly Bobby climbed Daryl into his arms. As soon as Sophia saw Bobby doing it she climbed up his other leg. Daryl and Carol walked over to greet them. "What are their names?"

"Glenn and Caesar, be nice," Carol whispered, "We don't want a court case because you can't play nice."

"They wanna take our kids, I don't want to play nice." Daryl whispered behind her.

 

 


	44. Chapter 44

A thirty something Asian guy walked towards them trailed by another man, Carol was confused the boys were not Asian or Hispanic. Carol walked towards them confused wondering who they were.

"Hi, can I help you?" Carol smiled.

"Hi, I'm Glenn, this is Caesar, I think you are expecting us." He stepped forward to shake her hand, Caesar stepped forward and shook her hand also, he nodded at Carol. 

"I'm Bobby and Toby's uncle... I think Eugene rang to let you know we were coming." He said. His eyes flicked to the little boy in Daryl's arms, Daryl nodded to both men, his arms filled with children.

"Welcome, we are going to have to chat over at the sandpit." Carol nudged Daryl to say hello and she kept talking when he didn't, "I'm Carol and this is my husband Daryl, our daughter Sophia and our little guy Bobby,"

"We brought some toys, and some books.... we didn't know what you all needed or what was appropriate." Glenn said, he moved around the back of the SUV, "Help me Daryl?"

Glenn forced Daryl to put the kids down and help with the bags, leaving Carol with Caesar to walk over to the sand pit. Bobby and Sophia run ahead because they knew morning tea was coming. Daryl helped Glenn by carrying one large box over to the sandpit and put in front of Caesar. Glenn put his box down on the grass and looked to Carol. Both men knew that Daryl wasn't happy that they were here.

They made idle chit chat with the men as Carol quietly went through the toys and books they brought with them for the home. It was clear to her they had money if they could afford to spend this sort of money on all the children.

"Thankyou so much, the kids would love all this." Carol said. She gave Bobbie and Sophia the new sandpit toys to go play with. They were gleeful and moved away far enough that they couldn't over hear the adults talking. Daryl had been pretty non verbal while the kids were about, letting them climb on and of him while eating morning tea. They watched the children play and Carol was surprised when it was Daryl who spoke first.

"So what do you want? You know Carol and I have permanent custody of the boys... why didn't you show up sooner." Daryl asked them.

Caesar leaned back on his seat and studied Daryl for a moment. "We all didn't have big brothers to drag us out of homes the moment to take custody of us when we were twelve Daryl. Some of us were left until we were eighteen... I know who you are. I shared a room with you from ten to twelve years old, you cried every night for your brother when he left the home, then he come back, do you want them raised in a home until eighteen?"

"Caesar Martinez?" Daryl sat back and nodded figuring out who he was.

"My sister was adopted, actually we both were. I don't know why because they didn't want us or help us. But they are my nephews and I'll tell you this, I've been trying to get them for four years." Martinez said.

"He was denied in court three times because of us... " Glenn said. "Then they brought in that we could get married we went to apply again, we been approved to adopt but we want to have the boys." 

"I don't know, the boys have been through a lot," Carol said, "did you both know each other?" Carol asked both the men.

"Not really, Daryl was always convinced that Merle would come for him and he did, he got lucky we didn't, I turned my life around but my sister didn't... I'm a lawyer now, family law... we have money, Glenn owns real estate and made some good investments. So I guess I'm saying we can do this the hard way or the easy way." Caesar told them, "We want to get to know the boys, see what they think. Give them a choice that they can get to know us, then if they don't want to come live with us we won't make them. But we want them."

"We don't want to cause problems, we can give you all the information how many times we tried to get them. Bring them home with us." Glenn said.

"Do you even have any experience with kids?" Carol asked, she was shocked with the way it was going. She knew that she and Daryl wouldn't be able to afford to keep them, they would have to give access to his uncle. So far they seemed nice.

"I've a daughter." Glenn said quietly. "She's nine... she lives with us," Glenn pulled out his phone to show them the photo of his daughter, she was adorable and clearly well loved.

"Ok, you can come on Saturday, it gives us a chance to talk to Toby, he's very attached to Daryl as is Bobby." Carol said. "I think you need to take baby steps,"

"Thankyou..." Both men were thrilled they were not being showed the door that they were getting a chance to come back. They hadn't wanted to pull the lawyer card but they would if they had too.

 

 


	45. Chapter 45

All the kids arrived home later that afternoon, Glenn and Caesar didn't look shocked to see a pregnant girl, they just sat in the kitchen smiling at everyone as they come in the front door. Toby stopped just inside the kitchen door looking at both men sitting there. Rick and Andrea had taken Bobby and Sophia out for a walk with the baby because Bobby was wary of the two men who wanted to play with him in the sandpit. Glenn and Caesar were not offended at all and knew that it would take time for both boys to trust them and possibly want to move in with them. Caesar made it clear he wanted it to be the boys choice and not forced upon them and if it took months to transition them over it would take months and he was fine with that as long as Carol and Daryl allowed them the time to come and bond with the boys and spend unlimited time with them at the home.

Carol agreed to the terms and Daryl was upset that they were going to be losing the boys because he knew that given time the boys would bond with the men. Hell Sophia almost threw herself at Glenn playing with toy cars because he was one of those guys that kids were drawn to. He also seemed like a really nice guy and if both of them were not trying to take his boys from him he wouldn't mind going to the bar and shooting some pool with them both.

 

"Uncle Caesar?" Toby's voice sounded unsure but when Caesar gave him the nod that it was him and a huge grin, he held his arms open to his nephew. Caesar knew Toby would remember him because he used to visit him all the time at another home before the courts stopped his visitation rights when he got turned down in court for custody of Toby, he told Toby that he would keep trying and he loved him. Toby ran and body slammed into Caesar with affection that Carol and Daryl hadn't seen from the kid, it had taken him so long even to warm up to Daryl and Carol. He wrapped his arms around his uncle, "You came... you finally came."

"I'm sorry kid... I'm so sorry... I wasn't allowed to come." Caesar told him, "I'm sorry, but we went back to court and you can come with us if you want to."

"Now? Right now?" Toby looked at his uncle then his eyes slid to Carol and Daryl, Carol couldn't help it tears were overflowing. She and Daryl had a quick chat that afternoon saying that they would let the boys decide. Toby was beside himself that his uncle had come for him finally. "They said you couldn't take us... is it true?" He asked the question to Daryl.

"If you want it to be... you know Carol and I would never make you go anywhere but ..." Daryl looked a bit choked up. "If you want to... that's different."

"Really... its not a joke?" Toby asked them again.

"Its not a joke... you remember Glenn?" Caesar asked him, "He's my husband now... the laws have changed and I can look after you and after Bobby now." Caesar nodded towards Glenn and Toby glanced in Glenns direction not really taking him in at all because a whole bunch of emotions flew across his face and his face fell into a crumpled heap.

"Bobby won't.... he's scared." Toby told them sadly, "I can't come because Bobby."

'We don't have to do it today... you don't have to come today but today is the day the that we got approved to be adoptive parents... so we come to see you, we rung Daryl and asked to come see you both... we can take as long as bobby needs. If you don't want to come that's ok too. We will just come visit you here." Caesar told him.

"Really?"

"Really... " Caesar hugged him again and whispered some things that no one else could hear but Toby was nodding agreeing with anything he was saying.

#######################################

"Your wife is here Merle." Merles secretary Tara stuck her head around the office door. Merle nodded as Michonne flashed Tara a smile and she shut the door and walked around and perched herself on Merles lap.

"Ok... I'll come... only because I think Lizzie will need me."

"Keep sitting on me like that I will need you soon." Merle tilted his head to kiss her. "Righto then, lets get home to pack we have forty eight hours to pack for four."

"Five... Tyreese is coming too. But I think he can pack his own bag." Michonne winked at him and climbed off his knee, Do you think Lizzie is doing ok at school?"

"She's doing better than ok, she just aced all her tests. She keeps this up, in four weeks I have special permission to give her the end of year exam which will mean she won't have to repeat anything and she will go into next year the same as the other kids."

"Did you tell her?" Michonne asked Merle as he locked his office door, Merle nodded and put his arm around Michonnes waist as they walked down the corridor to the carpark to go home.

 

 


	46. Chapter 46

"Its going to be ok Daryl," Carol wrapped her arms around her husband, they were both off duty and Carol had convinced him that it was ok for them to actually go away because they were leaving Sophia with Merle and Michonne, also everyone else seemed to be ok. Carol had booked a small motel unit in a neighbouring town. Call it time out,  mini holiday or whatever. Daryl hadn't been that keen to leave the kids. "Its the best outcome ever that they will eventually go with family and it opens up the doors for more children to come long term with us."

"I know... but..."

Carol didn't say anything else, they both knew they should be happy to let the kids go to someone who clearly wanted them. They knew they were not supposed to get so attached to their kids in the home but the problem was with this home that it was the last chance home. These kids were not really going to be moving on and once they arrived they were in the home until they turned 18 although Daryl and Carol along with Merle, Andrea and Michonne had made it clear that the doors were always going to be open and if they went on to college they would find a way for them to come home for Christmas and Thanksgiving. They wouldn't be tossed out onto the streets when they hit a certain age. Rick Grimes already mentioned he would work with them and take kids on that aged out of the system also to give them a place to go until they moved on to whatever they wanted to do. 

It looked like Andrea would be moving out of the home with Rick also. They didn't know for sure but it looked like she was going to move in with Rick. Now they didn't know what was going to happen with her job. They needed someone in the home. Michonne would be there but she already was working full time with meals and helping the rest of them out maintaining the home. They needed another women to come in who would be a good fit with everyone. 

Carol was working part time now and Daryl was worried that they would put someone in that wasn't that great with kids. Carol was going to mention it in passing if he knew of anyone that was looking because sometimes people knew of someone like when she knew of Andrea to come work with them.

 "So... " Carol said, she just started pulling off her shoes, she walked through to the bathroom with a spa bath, she splurged for a more expensive room for them. The tub was big enough for both of them and she just wanted to get her husband naked. She rinsed the bath then started filling it. Daryl was still standing in the lounge looking out the windows into the night. He pulled the curtains just in time to see a tiny peek through the bathroom door as Carol was taking her clothes off. He moved around taking time to pull the curtains and lock the front door. 

He pushed the bathroom door open seeing his wife stepping over the side of the tub into the bath.

"Have we ever had a bath together?" Daryl asked her.

"Never... we never had a whole night together and a day where we have been away from the kids and the home." She eased herself into the bath, she started fiddling with the taps and the jets to get them all moving. "This one is mine get your own."

"Nope!" Daryl moved about stripping his clothes and using the toilet. Carol watched him move about. It was funny they got married without knowing each other that well but now only a few months later she couldn't imagine ever being without him even for a night. Daryl stepped over the side of the bath and made a big deal of trying to squeeze in between her legs. He did manage to finally fit with a lot of fiddling around and leaned his back onto her chest. Carol burst out with giggles.

"I think you have this confused. Do you think I'm going to cradle you in my arms the whole time in the bath?" She teased him.

"Shush... feels good." He faked snored.

"Daryl you are too big... we need to swap."

 "Fine!" He moved about both of them trying to move each other around but getting no where. "Stand up... we are going to have to do it that way."

They both stood up and stepped slowly around each other, Carol still had the giggles and she settled down between his legs leaning her back against his chest.

"You have to move... do you expect me to cuddle you all night?" Daryl teased her.

"Yes.... and soon I'm going to go to sleep... " Carol rolled over and put her head on the side leaning on his chest. He stroked her back and they laid together in the bath for a long time.

"Its ok... you can just lie there..." Daryl's voice was silky smooth and Carol giggled again at his sly wit because last time they were to spend the night together he fell asleep on her. He was so pissed off with himself the next morning when he realized he missed a sure thing he was determined not to relax and fall asleep tonight however he had already told her they had all morning to make love without having to be worried about kids. They had a late check out also so they were set for the next fifteen hours or so.

They climbed out of the bath and dried each other tumbling onto the bed. Daryl rolled Carol onto her back and whispered, "Just lie there why don't you,"

Carol lost in thought pulled his arm so he would stop kissing his way down her body. 

"We are making the right choice arn't we? Just having Soph? We could adopt another at one stage... you didn't think we made a mistake chosing not to have a baby of our own?" Carol asked him.

"No... I mean... if we are going to adopt anyone or something... we could adopt Lizzie..." Daryl wasn't quite serious but he wasn't joking either. He was worried sick about her future as was Carol. "I'm joking... kinda... I think."

"Well... that's one way to kill the mood." Carol struggled to sit up a bit in the bed.

"Well she has two years left once the babies born then what?" Daryl asked Carol. 

"We will work it out..."

"But we know what happened to Sophia's parents..." Daryl kept going on with what he was saying. "What if that was Carl and Lizzie."

"Carl's got Rick and he's going to adopt their baby and raise it for them." Carol told him.

"But what if they don't... what if ..."

"What if what?"

"I don't know... what if she run's off with it or something... changes her mind... then what. At least if we adopt her the system won't try take it off her because she won't be in the system any more. She would be legally ours." Daryl told Carol.

"You been thinking about this."

"What if they swoop in after she has the baby and try take it." 

"Ok... we adopt her... before the baby's born then. I'll start it tomorrow if Lizzie agrees." Carol told him. She leaned over and kissed her husband. He had such a kind heart, Carol hadn't thought about the fact that Lizzie was in the system that she could have her baby taken from her. They just assumed she had the choice to let Rick adopt it but what if Daryl was right. Babies were hard to come by to adopt now days. 

"Now I've a clear head... you can just lie there..." He teased Carol again as he started kissing her neck.

 


	47. Chapter 47

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time has come to put this to bed. Its been a long time coming as I've been working on this over a year. Thanks for the support and who knows maybe I will dip my toe back in that pool again.

Carol and Daryl come back from their night away feeling refreshed and more in love than they had been, a night of sex and laughter had been on the cards for a long time. They come away feeling less stressed and more affectionate with each other and they come home to a house that seemed to be very settled. It hadn't fallen over while they had been away and Carol promised Daryl that they would book another night away in a month. She felt that they needed to do that to keep their relationship on the right track. Raising so many children was stressful and while four beds were going to be empty soon  they would soon be replaced by another four kids desperate for love and starving of affection as Daryl and Carol's 'Sunflower house' was like turn around ranch for some kids.

Rick managed to find a house that would suit his needs. He was a wealthy man and he had more than enough money to support all his kids and the new baby that would be coming his way in a month or so. He asked Andrea to move in with him and his kids and she accepted. She was just going to work her days and sleep over at the home the nights she was working. She worked five days and two nights a week they could make it work for the time being. Rick was going to be a stay at home dad with the babies and keep a better eye on Carl.

Carol and Daryl pitched the adoption idea to Lizzie before she went on the camp with Merle she agreed to let them try adopt her even though she was a older child she knew they were trying to protect her and to protect her unborn baby. Once they adopted her they would lose money for the home and have to take on her expensive. She would have a forever home to come home to if she went away Carol and Daryl would become her parents and she was happy about that.

The last thing on Carol and Daryl's list was to support the transition of Bobby and Toby to their uncles home. It was really only Bobby that they had to support. Both Glenn and Caesar had showed up the following day Andrea had told them and kept things calm by visiting through lunch time with Andrea and Bobby and Sophia. Rich had been about looking after Judith and packing up some of their things to move out because they would be moving out the following day and when Carl come home from camp he would be going home to Rick and Andrea's new home. 

Bobby surprised everyone by being drawn to both the men, he even climbed up on Glenn's knee while he was playing with the toy cars. He was shy but he could tell by his brothers reaction to both men that they were good people and he could be around them without being hurt. Bobby trusted Daryl and Merle quickly once they took over the children's home and he had grown fond of Rick and when Rick had let Glenn hold the baby he had been interest about who they were and why they were here.

Andrea had broken the ice by calling them 'Uncle Caesar and Uncle Glenn." Just like Toby had been doing.

Daryl had talked it through with Toby because he had already asked Daryl if he could call him dad. He wanted to know what he should call Daryl now. Daryl told him to call him what ever he felt comfortable with and Daryl would be fine with that. Daryl also told him that he and Carol were not walking away and that they would want to still see Toby and Bobby when they moved out. Toby asked if it would be like when his friends parents broke up and they saw their dad every other weekend. Daryl had suggested that they would see them more than that because they were not moving far away at all. Toby asked if he could keep calling Daryl dad then. Daryl was chuffed and hugged Toby telling him that he would love that.

Daryl was happy with the way things had worked out and he had been so nervous when the uncles had arrived on the scene but it wasn't that bad anymore. He knew the boys were going to be loved. He knew Rick and Andrea were going to be happy together looking after their children and Lizzie's new baby. He smiled at his wife who was rocking it around the kitchen with Sophia on her hip and holding Bobby's hand while they were waiting for daddy's chocolate brownies to bake. They had surprised him by cooking his favourite treat. He loved his wife and he love Sophia and he loved all the other kids in the home. Sunflower house was originally just a house but now it was his home.

 

 

 

 


End file.
